A 50% reduction in food waste in 5 years - encouraging results!
Since 2018, the association La Défense des Aliments has been organising weighing sessions in partner community restaurants at La Défense. This initiative raises awareness among restaurant owners and consumers of the need to combat food waste. The 2023 weighing results show that in just 5 years, food waste has been halved!
On 14, 15 and 16 March, 21 company restaurants took part in a campaign organised by the association La Défense des Aliments, which fights against food waste. With the support of ADEME (Agence De l'Environnement et de la Maîtrise de l'Energie) and DRIAFF Ile-de-France (Direction Régionale de l'Agriculture et de la Forêt), a new weighing exercise took place in the region's collective restaurants. In three days, 44,257 meals were served to visitors to the restaurants.
Among the good news from this weighing, the proportion of food waste per person fell by 50% compared with the first weighing in 2018. This rate takes into account, in particular, uneaten food and food that has not been served, but also the comparison between planned and actual patronage rates. For example, in 2018, 119 grams of food per person were thrown away, compared with 60 grams in March 2023.
Of the 21 partner restaurants, 2.6 tonnes were thrown away, 11% of which was so-called edible food. The majority of food waste comes from unserved food. Although this represented 52% of the waste in 2023, compared with 48% for food waste recovered from the tray, there was still a two-point reduction compared with 2020.
The association La Défense des Aliments
La Défense des Aliments, created in 2018 and supported in its actions by Paris La Défense, now has 22 members and continues to strengthen its partnerships in the area. Progress is proof of everyone's involvement in the fight against food waste. In the coming months, the association intends to call for the abolition of single-use containers in takeaways and, in September 2023, to organise an awareness-raising campaign in the region to mark International Food Loss and Waste Awareness Day.
