Andorra Food Waste Rises 6% to 18.1kg Per Person Despite Initiatives

Food waste in Andorra rose 6% in 2025 to 18.1 kg per inhabitant equivalent, despite efforts to meet a 50% reduction target by 2030 under the Circular Economy Law.

The Environment Department published the figures on Tuesday, showing total food waste reached 98.4 kg per inhabitant equivalent last year, up from 94.3 kg in 2024. Avoidable waste—edible items fit for consumption—increased from 17.1 kg in 2024 to 18.1 kg in 2025. In 2023, overall waste stood at 91.7 kg per inhabitant equivalent, also with 18.1 kg avoidable. A 2023-2024 diagnostic on organic waste, meat scraps, used oils, and expired products recorded 2022 totals at 92 kg per inhabitant equivalent, including about 18 kg—or 20%—avoidable. Total waste has increased since then, while avoidable levels have remained stable.

Environment, Agriculture, and Livestock Minister Guillem Casal downplayed the rise on Wednesday during the livestock blessing in Canya de la Rabassa valley, Rialb d'Ordino. He called the absolute numbers "very minimal" and said Andorra stays within "good thresholds," in line with the four-year-old law. Casal dismissed any cause for alarm, framing the data as motivation to strengthen public awareness. He affirmed the figures support progress toward the 2030 goal.

Casal highlighted retail initiatives as a success, including regulations he enacted early in the term for near-expiry items. Single-producer outlets recovered 285,478 such products in 2025, with rates ranging from 46% to 90%. Supermarkets have offered dedicated sections for imperfect or soon-to-expire foods since January 2024, following specific display, timing, and labeling rules.

Under Article 18 of the law, collective catering in schools, elderly care homes, hospitals, and socio-health centers must submit annual waste inventories and prevention plans informed by the diagnostic. Educational sites led with 28.8 kg per school daily in the 2023-2024 school year, followed by the hospital at 11.1 kg daily in 2024 and socio-health centers at 10.7 kg daily.

The minister emphasized collective responsibility, calling on consumers to plan purchases, buy only what they need, and take advantage of safe products nearing expiry. He outlined the government's duties in regulation, inspections, campaigns, and using environmental indicators like air and water quality to guide interventions. Reducing waste remains a shared obligation, Casal reiterated.