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

Food waste in Andorra rose 6% in 2025 to 18.1 kilograms per inhabitant equivalent, despite ongoing efforts to reduce discards and a legal goal to halve it by 2030.

The Environment Department reported total food waste at 98.4 kg per inhabitant equivalent for the year, up from 94.3 kg in 2024. Avoidable waste—edible food that could have been safely consumed—reached 18.1 kg per inhabitant equivalent, compared with 17.1 kg the previous year. In 2023, totals were 91.7 kg overall and 18.1 kg avoidable.

These findings stem from a 2023-2024 diagnostic study analyzing waste patterns, organic collections, meat residues, cooking oils, and expired products. It estimated 2022 figures at 92 kg total per inhabitant equivalent, with about 18 kg—or 20%—avoidable. Total waste has increased since then, while avoidable amounts have stayed relatively stable.

The Circular Economy Law requires collective catering services in schools, elderly care centers, hospitals, and socio-health facilities to submit annual waste inventories and prevention plans using the study's methods.

Educational centers generated the most, averaging 28.8 kg of waste daily per school in the 2023-2024 academic year. The hospital produced 11.1 kg per day in 2024, and socio-health centers averaged 10.7 kg daily.

Retailers have made strides under rules introduced in January 2024, mandating spaces for near-expiry or imperfect but edible items, with guidelines on display, timing, and labeling. Businesses classified as single producers sold 285,478 such units in 2025, with recovery rates ranging from 46% to 90% across outlets. Supermarkets have added sections for products approaching best-before dates, but aggregate waste levels are still rising.