Prevention Thematic Days 2014 - Stop Food Waste
Around one third of the food produced globally is lost or wasted.
Food waste represents a substantial loss of resources such as land, water, energy and labour.
Put into relation, these numbers tell us that the entire world’s hungry people could be “lifted out of malnourishment on less than a quarter of the food that is wasted in the US, UK and Europe”! Worldwide, a total of 842 million people were estimated to be suffering from chronic hunger. This means that around 1 in 8 people in the world regularly not getting enough food to conduct an active life, while in Europe we have nearly twice as much food as is required by the nutritional needs of our population.
In 2014, the Prevention Thematic Days focused on the issue of food waste and how to prevent it.
Find out all about the Prevention Thematic Days 2014 - Stop Food Waste! in this report.
To highlight this topic and to encourage and support EWWR Action Developers to implement actions around this issue, a number of tools have been developed:
Factsheets
This compilation of factsheets on specific food waste prevention activities aim at helping you to organise such activities. Apart from providing you with general information on the activity, the factsheets will contain tips on preparing and implementing the action as well as a compilation of examples.
- Composting training (EN). Also available in FR, ES, IT, HU, NL, CAT.
- Feeding the 5000 event (EN). Also available in FR, ES, IT, HU, NL, CAT.
- Food donation campaign (EN). Also available in FR, ES, IT, HU, NL, CAT.
- Gleaning (EN). Also available in FR, ES, IT, HU, NL, CAT.
- Food waste diary (EN). Also available in FR, ES, IT, HU, NL, CAT.
- Workshop: Cooking with leftovers (EN). Also available in FR, ES, IT, HU, NL, CAT.
- Zero waste lunch (EN). Also available in FR, ES, IT, HU, NL, CAT.
- Eco-restaurant (EN). Also available in ES, CAT
Support documents
- Food waste and its impacts: Do you dare to be aware? (EN). Also available in CAT
- Practical guide: Zero waste lunch (EN). Also available in CAT.
- Practical guide: Composting (EN). Also available in CAT.
Tips to reduce food waste
- Shopping & Planning (EN). Also available in CAT and ES.
- Storing food (EN). Also available in CAT.
- Cooking & Eating (EN). Also available in CAT and ES.
- Use-by / Best-before dates (EN). Also available in CAT.
Food waste calculator
In order to measure the amount of food wasted in your home or restaurant, EWWR food waste calculators have been set up.
There are two types of calculators:
- Food waste calculator for restaurants and canteens: this calculator has been developed for the specifics of restaurants and canteens. It will help managers to find out how much food they are throwing away on a daily basis and what implications this has for their purse and their environmental footprint (also available in Catalan and Spanish)
- Food waste calculator for private households: this calculator has been set up for citizens to measure the amount of food they are throwing away at home. It also helps them see what implications this has on their environmental footprint (also available in Catalan)
Promotional poster
A promotional poster has been developed for the Prevention Thematic Days 2014, aiming at encouraging citizens to organise a EWWR action on stop food waste or to take part in an action in their area.

Download the poster! It is available for all Action Developers in English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Hungarian, Dutch, Catalan.
Interesting links
Why is waste reduction important? Discover why and get inspired by case studies of successful reduce actions!
Play the NLWA food waste game!
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Ireland: Stop food Waste
Recipes: Cooking with leftovers
- Allrecipes.com: Everyday Leftovers
- BBC GoodFood: Leftover recipes
- BigOven: Use Up Leftovers
- Holroyd City Council: Love Your Leftovers (free app)
- INCPEN: The Green Kitchen. Recipes for a better planet. (pp. 17-31)
- Love Food Hate Waste: Healthy recipes with leftovers
- North London Waste Authority: North London Food Lovers’ Cookbook
- Nottingham County Council & LFHW: Nottinghamshire Sustainable Cookery Book
- The Guardian: 15 recipe ideas for leftover pasta
- Zero Waste Europe: 27 Blogs Sharing Creative Ways to Reuse Your Leftovers