FIR researchers: a family with two children could save CZK 14,000 in 2023 if it stopped wasting food
Along with the soaring price of food, the question of how much food consumers waste and what the financial value of the wasted food is also arises. Prague University of Economics and Business, in cooperation with Mendel University in Brno and the Save Food Association, has now compiled a calculation to estimate the price of food wasted in households. It shows that a family of two adults and two children loses CZK 14 076 per year. Converted to an average household of 2.33 people, according to the Czech Statistical Office, this amounts to CZK 8 199.
The calculation was based on data collected by Mendel University in Brno during the period 2019 to 2022, which is the most accurate data available on the waste of Czech households. “The municipal waste from housing estates that we measured over three years gives us the most accurate data on the amount of food actually wasted. The average value of waste on the estate was used, because in housing estates or rural developments much food ends up in the compost heap. This was 53 kilograms per person per year after deducting unavoidable waste such as shells and bones,” says Lucie Veselá from Mendel University in Brno.
Veronika Mokrejšová, an assistant professor at the Prague University of Economics and Business, teamed up with Alena Filipová and Jiří Zeman to calculate the price of wasted food, taking into account many variables. Among other things, the Czech Statistical Office’s data on food consumption per kilogram and on Czech households’ consumption expenditure on food. “We also took into account the composition of food (more expensive food is wasted less, perishable food more). Thanks to a qualified estimate based on MENDEL data, it was also possible to take into account the food we pour down the sink or toilet. The calculation also works with inflation (including the Czech National Bank’s prediction for 2023) and also with a qualified estimate of the impact of the fact that there has already been some decrease in food waste in households during the last year due to the economic crisis,” explains Veronika Mokrejšová from Prague University of Economics and Business.
This complex calculation has resulted in a sum for wasted food. It can be assumed that in 2023, food worth CZK 3,519 per capita will end up in the trash, compost and waste pipes. If we work with the average household according to the CSO, i.e. 2.33 people, then this is CZK 8,199 for 2023. A family with two children can save CZK 14,076 this year if it does not waste.
The Save the Food initiative will work with these figures when communicating with consumers. “For September, we are again launching our monthly September Against Waste appeal, which draws consumers’ attention to the negative aspects of food waste and offers them tips on how to reduce it. In addition to the financial dimension, we also highlight the impact of waste on climate change. The UN estimates that food waste accounts for 8-10% of global greenhouse gas emissions,” adds Anna Strejcová, co-founder of the association.
