International Day of Zero Waste 2026: Everyone has a role to play in reducing food waste

Every year, about one billion tons of edible food ends up as waste, nearly one-fifth of all food available worldwide, impacting both people and the environment, according to an estimate by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). This year’s International Day of Zero Waste, observed on March 30, focuses on ways to reduce food waste and help the world move to a more circular future.

Households generate around 60% of global food waste, or about 79 kilograms per person per year, while the rest comes mostly from food service and retail. The staggering amounts result from inefficient food production, distribution, and consumption systems, according to an announcement on the official web page of the International Day of Zero Waste.

Reducing food waste requires redesigning these systems and transitioning towards a more sustainable, circular approach, reads the announcement, adding that this calls for action by governments, businesses, and consumers.

Governments can advance food waste prevention through climate and biodiversity plans and policies on circularity, waste, food systems, agriculture, and urban development, while also promoting food waste measurement and monitoring.

Cutting global food waste calls for action by governments, businesses, and consumers

Businesses, for their part, can set food waste reduction targets and integrate them into their existing sustainability goals, use innovation to switch to circular food systems, and improve the efficiency of their supply chains.

Finally, consumers can buy, store, and prepare food mindfully to cut waste and save resources. They can also support initiatives such as food recovery, redistribution, and composting, and take everyday action to help make food waste socially unacceptable, according to the recommendations published on the International Day of Zero Waste web page.

Individuals can consume responsibly and help make food waste socially unacceptable

The observance of the International Day of Zero Waste, established in 2022 by the UN General Assembly, is jointly facilitated by UNEP and the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat).

The aim is to draw attention to the negative impacts of waste and encourage global action at all levels to reduce pollution. In 2025, the focus of the International Day of Zero Waste was on waste generated by the fashion and textiles industry.