According to a recent GfK survey, two thirds of Austrians eat meat every day. But what happens to the meat that doesn't find its way onto our plates? The sad truth: it ends up in the bin, just like other edible food. Concepts from Austria are now trying to put a stop to this senseless waste.
Every year, around a third of the food produced worldwide is thrown away that would still be edible in principle. In Austria, this amounts to around 760,000 tons per year[1]. Supermarkets alone generate over 13 percent of this waste. However, Austria is not alone in this: the losses across the entire food chain are roughly the same in most countries, but the distribution across the food chain varies greatly. In industrialized countries, around half of food is thrown away by end consumers, while in poorer countries, inefficient technologies or a lack of know-how in harvesting, storage and processing lead to severe losses.
Innovative concepts from Austria address this problem and provide alternatives for combating food waste with enjoyment and sustainability.
Jam with a purpose
The "Marmalade with a purpose" project aims to save food from being destroyed. Supposed "waste" and surplus fruit is turned into jam, which is then sold. The chef Cornelia Diesenreiter founded "Marmelade mit Sinn". Last year, the young entrepreneur collected and recycled 600 kilograms of fruit, producing around 3,000 jars of jam.
But that's not all: "Marmelade mit Sinn" actively involves refugees in the production of the product. Together with volunteers from Wiener Tafel, they can boil the fruit into jam, improve their language skills and contribute their abilities.
"TafelBox" made in Austria
One project that is also supported by Wiener Tafel is the "TafelBox", which can be used to save food from being thrown away at events, restaurants, hotels and catering companies. Together with the Waldviertel-based company Kastner and the packaging company Pacovis, Wiener Tafel has developed the "TafelBox": a fresh food container made of biodegradable material that can be sealed tightly. The innovative box is primarily intended for use at buffets: Guests can use it to take any leftover food home with them independently and on their own responsibility at the end of the event. For every box purchased, 20 cents will be donated to the Wiener Tafel food bank, which in turn will be able to provide food to people living in poverty.
Dumpster in Austria
Dumpster diving is the search for recyclable food waste. Dumpsters or waste divers are now also increasingly on the move in Austria, scouring the waste from supermarkets and hypermarkets in search of edible food. Many of the dumpster divers see dumping as an act of humanity; the food they save is not for themselves, but for people in need. In addition, many dumpster divers want to set an example for the conscious use of food and thus criticize today's consumer and throwaway society.
More and more supermarkets are also trying to avoid unnecessary burdens on the environment. A study by Greenpeace shows that supermarket chains are doing very different things to combat food waste. Nevertheless, the majority - six out of nine supermarkets surveyed - received the grade "Good", two received the grade "Satisfactory" and one supermarket only received "Sufficient". What is much more important, however, is that the study shows that supermarket chains are also taking responsibility and that a rethink is slowly taking place in small steps.
Footnote
- This is the conclusion of the latest status report by the Austrian Institute of Ecology, which was commissioned by WWF and Mother Earth.
