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Slovenia observing first No Food Waste Day

The government recently declared 24 April the Slovenian No Food Waste Day to raise awareness of the fact that Slovenians are throwing away more than 100,000 tonnes of food every year.

The government declared 24 April the Slovenian No Food Waste Day last week | Author Depositphotos

Official statistics show that in 2013 the amount of food waste reached 118,000 tones and in 2021 it topped 143,000 tones. In 2021, an average Slovenian threw away 68 kilogrammes of food.

The government declared 24 April the Slovenian No Food Waste Day last week at the initiative of partners to the project raising awareness of food waste - retailer Lidl Slovenija, the Eco School project, NGOs Ecologists Without Borders, the Association of Friends of Youth, company TAM-TAM, the environment and agriculture ministries and the Etri group.

The idea is to include families, individuals, companies and public and private institutions in efforts to reduce food waste, the initiators say.

People are often not aware of the amount of food they throw away, but it is a burden for the environment, as it contributes to greenhouse gas emissions, disappearing of animal and plant species, degradation of soil. By throwing away food, enormous amounts of water and energy used for its making are also being wasted, they argue.

Posters have also been created raising awareness of the issue and encouraging people to make positive changes, while today schools and kindergartens will organise a number of activities on the topic. An active campaign is also under way on social media.

In a project sponsored by Lidl Slovenija, the Etri group will launch today its innovative processing plant Mini Plant, which will process small amounts of food waste, at a unit of the Biotechnological Faculty in Rodica near Domžale.

Source: STA