Dutch consumers waste nearly 30% less food than in 2015

Dutch consumers throw away less food at home than they did ten years ago. This is according to new research by the Dutch Nutrition Center. In 2025, Dutch consumers wasted an average of 25.5 kilograms of solid food per person. In 2015, that figure was still 36 kilograms. Every three years, the Dutch Nutrition Center measures how much food ends up in residual waste and organic waste bins in Dutch households. The latest results show that food waste has fallen by nearly 30 percent since 2015.

Every bite counts

State Secretary Silvio Erkens (LVVN) responded positively to the findings. “Food waste is a shame, both for people themselves and for their wallets. It is encouraging to see that we are wasting less food at home, because every bite counts.”

The study focused on solid food. Liquids were not included. Fruit and vegetable peels, eggshells, and cheese rinds were also excluded from the calculations.

Bread and vegetables wasted most often

Bread, vegetables, fruit, potatoes, and dairy products together account for more than half of all food waste in Dutch households.

The research also shows that 81 percent of Dutch consumers believe they waste less food than average. According to the Dutch Nutrition Center, this often leads people to underestimate their own food waste. In 2025, 7 percent of all purchased food was wasted. This equals approximately €100 per person per year.

2030 target

Reducing food waste is one of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. The Netherlands has committed to halving food waste by 2030 compared with 2015. According to Lilou van Lieshout, sustainability expert at the Dutch Nutrition Center, the Netherlands is “reasonably on track,” but additional steps will be needed in the coming years to achieve the target.

Voedingscentrum.nl