Determination of food waste in Germany in 2020, fulfilment of the reporting obligation to the EU Commission in 2022 and derivation of recommendations for action

The study provides an up-to-date database on food waste in Germany for the 2020 reporting year as part of mandatory EU reporting. Food waste was determined in all five stages of the food chain. The methodology is based on the disposal of waste. The data is based on official waste statistics. The proportion of food waste per waste code (waste coefficient) was determined in order to calculate the actual food waste. Waste sorting analyses were evaluated and a voluntary online survey of waste disposal facilities was carried out. In addition, recommendations for action to reduce food waste and optimization recommendations for future reporting were identified.