REVEALED: How many Carlow households throw out food every week?

New research from ALDI Ireland says two-thirds of Irish and Carlow households are uncomfortable with the amount of food waste generated by their household every week.

• 47% of those surveyed said that they throw out food every week  
• 65% uncomfortable with the amount of food their household throws out 
• Average spend on grocery is €109 per week  
• Bread is the most commonly discarded item (62%), while fresh veg (55%), fresh fruit (52%), dairy (31%), and meat (27%) round out the top five 

New research commissioned by ALDI Ireland has highlighted the amount of food wasted by Irish households as almost half of those surveyed reported throwing out food every week.   

Food waste by numbers  

Food waste is still a challenge for Irish households, despite the ongoing cost-of-living crisis. Almost half (47%) say that they typically throw food out every week, but the majority of people (65%) are uncomfortable with the amount of food being discarded by their households each week.  

According to the study, which was conducted by Coyne Research, food being past its use by date is the most common reason it is thrown out (48%), followed by people not getting around to using it (43%). Over one-third (35%) say they disposed of food because it was past the best before date, while nearly one-in-five (18%) said they simply bought too much.  

Fresh food makes up the majority of people’s grocery spending (49%) and is the food most frequently discarded by people. Bread (62%) is the most common item that households throw out each week, followed by fresh vegetables (55%) and fresh fruit (52%). Dairy was next with 31%, while over a quarter of people (27%) threw away fresh meat every week. Just 8% said that they threw away fresh fish.

The research also shows that more than half of people sometimes or always plan their meals. Almost half (49%) say that they are actively taking steps to reduce their food waste by cooking and preparing the food before it goes off to avoid wasting it.