Rising costs and rising waste
As the cost of living continues to strain households across Europe, a growing contradiction is becoming harder to ignore: food waste. While many families are spending more on groceries and cutting back on essentials, millions of tonnes of edible food are still wasted every year.
In response, the European Union has introduced its first-ever legally binding targets to reduce food waste, signalling a shift from voluntary commitments to enforceable policy.
Binding EU targets by 2030
Under the revised EU Waste Framework Directive, Member States are now required to cut food waste by 10% in food production and manufacturing, and by 30% per person across retail, restaurants, food services, and households by 2030. The move represents a major step in aligning EU environmental policy with global sustainability goals, but it also raises questions about how effective these targets will be in practice.
A disconnect between waste and affordability
The timing of the legislation is particularly striking. Food prices across the EU surged in recent years due to inflation, rising energy costs, and supply chain disruptions, leaving many households struggling to afford basic groceries. Yet Europe still wastes an estimated 60 million tonnes of food annually, at a cost exceeding €130 billion.
This disconnect highlights not only an environmental failure, but also a social and economic one. Reducing food waste could ease household expenses, strengthen food security, and reduce the need to expand food production, while lowering environmental damage.
Cyprus under pressure
For Cyprus, the challenge is especially urgent. Recent European data ranks the country among the highest food-waste producers per capita, putting it under increasing pressure as the 2030 EU deadline approaches.
Most waste occurs at the household level, often driven by over-purchasing, confusion over expiration labels, and cultural habits that encourage over-serving and excess. Without meaningful policy reform, public education, and stronger collaboration with retailers and food businesses, Cyprus risks falling behind EU targets.
Enforcement and effectiveness questioned
The new EU law requires Member States to improve waste tracking, promote food donation and redistribution, and raise consumer awareness about responsible consumption. Governments are also expected to work more closely with supermarkets, restaurants, and producers to prevent edible food from being discarded.
However, critics argue that the targets may not be ambitious enough to match the scale of the crisis, while others question how authorities will enforce reductions when much of the waste takes place in private homes.
Environmental impact
Beyond economics and policy, food waste is also a growing climate concern. Wasted food contributes significantly to greenhouse gas emissions, unnecessary water use, and land degradation. Cutting waste is increasingly seen as one of the most cost-effective ways to reduce environmental impact without requiring technological breakthroughs or major lifestyle changes.
A test for political will
The coming years will test whether the EU’s first binding food-waste law becomes a meaningful turning point or merely a symbolic gesture. For countries such as Cyprus, the stakes are particularly high. Meeting the new targets will require swift national action, cultural shifts, and sustained political will.
As families continue to grapple with rising food costs, the question remains whether Europe can justify throwing away so much food, or whether it can finally learn to waste less.
Local initiatives
At a local level, initiatives such as the LIFE–FOODPRINT project, co-funded by the European Union’s LIFE Programme, are actively contributing to the fight against food waste by promoting public awareness, targeted outreach, and behavioural change.
The project highlights the environmental impact of organic waste while, encouraging sustainable consumption and responsible waste management, engaging households, consumers, and professionals in the hospitality and food service sectors. As Cyprus works to meet the EU’s new binding food-waste reduction targets, initiatives like LIFE–FOODPRINT can play a key role in shaping more sustainable habits.
More information and practical guidance for the hospitality and food service sector is available in the LIFE–FOODPRINT Best Practices Guide.
Dr. Gavriil Gavriil
Senior Manager
K. Parpounas Sustainability Consultants Ltd.
Also read: Food waste in Cyprus poses major climate threat
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