Food Waste Highlights from 2024
.svg){kind=icon}
219,000 tonnes
were generated by households. Households were the largest contributor to Ireland’s food waste in 2024, equalling 31% of the total.
181,000 tonnes
were generated by the restaurants and food services sector, making them the second largest contributor to Ireland’s food waste, at 26% of the total in 2024.
This page contains EPA data and key statistics on food waste in Ireland in 2024 (released 08th July 2026). These data are submitted to Eurostat annually in June for reporting requirements under the revised Waste Framework Directive (2008/98/EC) and Implementing Decision (EU) 2019/2000 and are subject to further validation
Highlights ~ Generation ~ Redistribution ~ Prevention ~ More Information ~ Links
Generation
The EPA estimates that 708,000 Tonnes of food waste were generated in 2024. This equates to 132kg of food waste per person, which is higher than the EU average food waste of 130kg per person.
Food waste measured across the five economic sectors of the food supply chain for 2024 are given in the pie chart and table 1 below.
| Economic Sector | Tonnes of food waste | Percentage of total food waste |
|---|---|---|
| Primary production |
54,000 |
8% |
| Manufacturing and Processing |
169,000 |
24% |
| Retail and distribution |
85,000 |
12% |
| Restaurants and food services |
181,000 |
26% |
| Households |
219,000 |
31% |
| Total |
708,000 |
100% |
What is food waste
Food waste is discarded food, including its inedible parts such as bones and fruit cores. Food waste occurs at all stages of the food supply chain. The European Commission defines food waste as any food that becomes waste under the following conditions:
- It has entered the food supply chain (i.e. after harvest)
- It then has been removed or discarded from the food supply chain, or at final consumption stage, and
- It is finally destined to be processed as waste
EU Member States are required to report the amount of food waste generated along five economic sectors of the food supply chain: primary production, manufacturing and processing, distribution and retail, restaurants and food services, and households.
.jpeg.png)
Primary Production
As defined by the EU, primary production is the production, rearing or growing of primary products including harvesting, milking and farmed animal production prior to slaughter. It also includes hunting and fishing and the harvesting of wild products.
In 2024, an estimated 54,000 tonnes of food waste (8% of Ireland’s total food waste) was generated at the primary production stage of the food supply chain in Ireland. Of this, horticulture (fruit and vegetables) accounted for the largest share.
One of the causes of food waste at the primary production stage is that products are not saleable due to marketing standards, meaning that markets will only accept food with a certain appearance and size, which can lead to edible food being wasted.
Primary production food waste is measured based on findings from the EPA-funded research report titled ‘ Food Loss and Waste from Farming, Fishing & Aquaculture in Ireland’, published in 2022.
Manufacturing and Processing
The food and beverage manufacturing and processing sector generated an estimated 169,000 tonnes of food waste, contributing to 24% of total food waste in 2024, representing a 12% decrease (-23,000 tonnes) compared to 2023 figures calculated using the updated methodology explained below.
Methodology update
The Waste Statistics team has revised how food waste from the manufacturing and processing sector is measured in Ireland to improve accuracy and better align with European food waste reporting.
The methodology for food waste reporting was first introduced in 2022, following amendments to the Waste Framework Directive. The first review of this method began in 2025 to ensure Ireland’s food waste data was being compiled in line with other reporting countries, and to the standards expected by the European statistical body, Eurostat. As this is a relatively new methodology, many learnings have been gained over the past number of years on how to best measure food waste in the processing and manufacturing sector. Guidance from Eurostat was also recently updated which helped with the review process.
The review concluded that the methodology was capturing some material streams, which do not fall within the scope of food waste. This was specifically related to discarded animal tissue and carcasses arising from the meat production sector. Where animal tissues from meat production are sent directly to waste facilities or for waste treatment these are to be counted as food waste, as the waste is from animals fit for human consumption. These waste treatments include anaerobic digestion, composting, incineration or landfilling.
However, if the animal tissues are sent for rendering, and are transformed into usable products such as tallow or processed animal proteins, these no longer constitute food waste. These products are generally used in oleochemicals, animal feeds and biofuel production, but if these ‘Animal By-Products’ later become wastes and are removed from their value stream, they are to be reported as waste under that stream.
Animal by-products originating from the food supply chain which are categorised as wastes or enter a waste facility, and are then used in biofuel production, are to be counted as food waste. While animal by-products which are processed to biofuel without being considered wastes are not to be included in food waste reporting.
These decisions on food waste scope do not impact on reporting of animal by products under the Waste Statistics Regulation, which has a different scope for inclusion as set out in its own guidance document.
This change in measurement reflects the sentiment behind the food use and waste hierarchy. Using food for industrial uses or in animal feed prevents this food from becoming waste, while food going for recycling and nutrient recovery is a less desirable outcome.
This change in methodology, requires a revision to be applied to all previously reported figures for Ireland, to ensure consistency and comparability across all years of data. This is also important to measure our progress towards food waste reduction targets nationally.
What difference does this make?
When implementing the updated methodology which removes these non-waste items from our food waste estimates:
- The manufacturing and processing sector is now the third largest food waste generator in Ireland
- The revised estimate for 2024 is 169,000 tonnes compared to 304,000 tonnes under the previous method (figure and table 2 below)
| Year | Previous figure (tonnes) | Revised figure (tonnes) |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 |
220,000 |
202,000 |
| 2021 |
215,000 |
128,000 |
| 2022 |
230,000 |
190,000 |
| 2023 |
305,000 |
192,000 |
| 2024 |
304,000(est) |
169,000 |
Does this mean less food waste?
No. It is important to note that this change reflects an improvement in how food waste is measured and does not indicate a sudden drop in actual food waste generation from the manufacturing and processing sector.
Key takeaway: Some materials were previously included as food waste but are no longer counted in this report. These materials are removed from the food supply chain for other uses and do not become wastes. This update provides a clearer picture of food waste generation in Ireland.
Distribution and Retail
The retail and distribution sector accounted for approximately 85,000 tonnes of food waste (12% of Ireland’s total) in 2024. There was a minor increase of 2% (+1,600 tonnes) produced by this sector compared to 2023.
This sector includes food waste from supermarkets and smaller grocery shops, service stations and general retail, as well as food waste generated by food & beverage wholesale companies.
Retailers may dispose of food products which are spoiled or damaged. An EPA-funded research report titled ’Reducing Commercial Food Waste in Ireland’ published in 2019 found that vegetables are the most commonly wasted food type in supermarkets (20%), followed by fruit (16%), bread (15%) and meat (11%).
Restaurants and Food Services
Restaurants and food services generated approximately 181,000 tonnes of food waste in 2024, accounting for about 26% of Ireland’s total food waste. This is an increase of 3% (+6,000 tonnes) compared to 2023. This sector includes food waste collected from hotels, B&Bs, pubs and restaurants, cafes, takeaways and canteens.
Households
Irish households threw away an estimated 219,000 tonnes of food (31% of Ireland’s total food waste) in 2024. This includes food waste collected from households, brought to civic amenity sites and disposed of via home composting. This is equal to approximately 119 kg of food waste per household or 41 kg per person (that’s about half the weight of a full brown bin for every person in Ireland).
Food waste costs the average Irish household about €60 per month or €700 per year. That’s an annual national cost of €1.29 billion.
Redistribution
Prevention is the most effective way to reduce food waste, in line with the Food Use and Waste Hierarchy. The next preferred option is redistributing surplus food.
In 2024, Food Cloud redistributed 3,895 tonnes of surplus food across Ireland through partnerships with 195 food businesses and 674 community organisations to support people facing food poverty.
Overall, in 2024, approximately 9.3 million meals were redistributed by Food Cloud, saving the equivalent of 12,467 tonnes of CO2.
Prevention
Food waste is a global problem that has environmental, social and economic consequences. Almost 40% of all food produced falls to food loss or waste, that equates to over 2.5 billion tonnes per year globally. It is a significant contributor to climate change, as food loss and waste contribute to 8-10% of greenhouse gas emissions globally. Growing, processing and transporting food all use significant amounts of resources such as land, water and energy.
In the EU, 58 million tonnes of food is wasted each year, and almost 42 million people cannot afford a quality meal every second day.
The EU has committed to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal Target 12.3 to halve global food waste at the retail and consumer levels, and reduce food losses along production and supply chains, by 2030. The European Commission has agreed on a general approach to introducing amendments to the Waste Framework Directive. These amendments introduce mandatory food waste reduction targets for EU member states including:
- A 10% reduction in food waste from manufacturing and processing, and
- A 30% reduction from retail, restaurants and food services, and households by 2030
EPA Food Waste Prevention Programme
The EPA’s food waste prevention programme is implemented through the Agency’s Circular Economy Programme. It aims to raise awareness of food waste and target behavioural change through a number of activities including:
-
- Stop Food Wastewhich is a national campaign to reduce household food waste.
- Food Waste Charterwhich is a public commitment by companies and organisations to recognise and address the issue of food waste.
- Guidance and a standard measurement methodology to support food and drink sector businesses to identify and quantify their food waste streams and put in place actions to reduce their food waste.
National Food Waste Prevention Roadmap
- The Irish Government published a National Food Waste Prevention Roadmap in 2022 outlining actions to halve Ireland’s food waste by 2030, with the next roadmap for 2026-2030 expected to be published later in 2026. Accurate and consistent measurement is the first step in prevention, as it provides the data needed to track food waste, support prevention initiatives, and report progress towards reduction targets.
More Information
Further information on composting/anaerobic digestion and biodegradable municipal waste sent to landfill can be found on our Waste Statistics webpages.
All previous data submissions are available in the EPA Data Archive. Information previously submitted to Eurostat via the required quality report is available in the following location held by the European Commission: Environment Statistics, Indicators and Accounting - Library.