Kees Baldé and Andries Offringa Statistical experiences on Food waste Kees Baldé and Andries Offringa

Overview of presentation Current status of food waste statistics in the Netherlands Data needs for national monitoring Experiences of the project Lessons learnt Improvements for food waste plug-in Conclusion

Food waste statistics Three food waste monitors have been published Wageningen University in driving seat, but collaboration with CBS for 4 years Monitoring starting from waste treatment data and then determining food waste share Public available data and reports sorting analysis of residual waste Sorting analysis of green wastes Treatment of municipal waste Co-digestion of manure Etc.

Main numbers on food waste in NLD On average between: 109 to 162 kg/inhabitant Around one third is avoidable, one third potentially avoidable and one third non-avoidable

Data gaps national monitoring Little knowlegde on generation Existing waste statistics data are not detailed enough Linkage between treatment and generation highly desired for policy interventions Ministry of economic affairs financed two projects in 2014 and 2015 Goal of project: Link generation to treatment for food waste Investigate CBS micro data for food waste statistics Manufacturing industry Services industry Data that has sufficient quality for national monitoring

How it worked in practice Researcher of WUR got access to micro data on enterprise level at CBS premises Signed confidentiality agreement Worked together with CBS researchers Can we identify if it is food waste. Yes or no? Fraction between food waste and non-food waste per LoW code, per NACE Enterprise data of CBS were used Expert knowlegde

Did it work? Worked for NACE 10-12 Did not work for NACE 1-3, 46, 47, 55, 56, P , 86 Households were not researched is done by Government on a regular basis

Manufacturing industry For manufacturing industry NACE 10-12 4.7 Mt of waste are not considered as food waste in the Netherlands !!! Mainly 020701 wastes from washing, cleaning and mechanical reduction … 020304 Materials unsuitable for consumption or processing 020704 Materials unsuitable for consumption or processing At least 75% of total for NACE 10-12 in food waste plug-in Waste generation links to economic fluctuations Data will not work as a proxy Compared to total waste in food waste plug-in it is at least 25%

Way forward in the Netherlands 2016 2016: Ministry of Economic Affairs and Infrastructrure and Environment finance the following project If data is available in future, we might be able to provide to Eurostat, not sure it is in LoW codes Combination LoW code + enterprise + company visits + voluntary participation of sector organisations Food waste: fraction between avoidable and non-avoidable food waste per LoW code, per NACE Use CBS data on generation

Lessons learnt for food Waste Plugin Main question: is the data a good proxy … Answer: Not for NACE 10-12 in the Netherlands. At least 75% of food waste containing LoW codes are not food waste Other sectors still unknown … it should be investigated in 2016 Is Netherlands specific? Or not? Similar knowledge should be developed for other countries

Improve data collection with food waste plug-in fictive data For sure non-food waste To be done for all sectors

Conclusions The statistical data did not have the sufficient details for national monitoring of generation of food waste not suitable for national monitoring yet Discourage use for international monitoring Might change in 2016 if we can make a better split per LoW code on food waste and non-food waste Expand food waste plugin with additional data on non-food waste within the LoW / NACE combinations