A source-linked guide to the Food Waste Index and a simple way to measure your own household waste.
Start with what is counted
The UN Environment Programme’s Food Waste Index Report 2024 focuses on households, food service and retail. For readers comparing figures, check the sector, year and whether the number is a national total or a per-person estimate. UNEP’s SDG indicator guide describes a separate measure of loss earlier in the supply chain.
Separate edible leftovers from preparation scraps
The Food Waste Index includes both food and associated inedible parts. At home, recording those separately makes the result easier to act on. Leftover rice that went uneaten suggests a different change from a bin full of peels and bones. Record where the discarded material went too, such as compost or general waste.
Make a useful seven-day record
Use a bowl and a kitchen scale if you have one. Subtract the empty bowl’s weight, then record the food, approximate weight and reason it was discarded. Use the same method all week. Choose one repeated cause, such as cooking too much or forgetting produce, and change one habit for the following week.
Compare weeks with similar routines
Record changes in the number of people eating at home, meals out and special events before comparing totals. The exercise gives you a household baseline, and the global report provides a separate way to understand the problem at scale. A simple first test is to cook a smaller batch of the most frequently discarded meal and see whether the edible waste falls.
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