Weekly waste (households)
~5–6 portions/week
Portion ≈ 250 g
🌍 Sustainability
Food Waste & Sustainability — small habits, big impact
Our mission is simple: help you plan, cook and store food smarter, so less ends up in the bin. That saves money, time — and the planet a little breathing room.
🎯 Mission
Plan with purpose, portion with care, store with confidence. RecipeGen bakes waste-smart choices into your cooking flow.
📊 Why it matters
Households are a major source of avoidable food waste. Even modest cuts at home add up across a year.
💶 Your wallet
Wasting less means buying less — and stretching each shop further with leftovers and freezer-friendly ideas.
At a glance (EU)
EU-27 household averages (2022). Actual impact varies by country, diet and method.
Notes (EU, 2022): Average across EU-27 ≈ ~132 kg food waste per person across all sectors; households ≈ ~72 kg (~54%). Country results vary by method and year.
Annual waste mass
~72 kg per person
Households, EU-27, 2022 (Eurostat/UNEP)
CO₂e footprint
~1–4 kg CO₂e per kg
Food types differ widely
Money saved
Calculator below
Set your local prices
Personal impact estimator
A rough guide. Enter your typical leftovers to see what reducing waste could mean across a year.
CO₂e varies widely by food type. We show an indicative range of ~1–4 kg CO₂e per kg of food waste.
Yearly waste mass
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Yearly savings (€)
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Indicative CO₂e range
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Calculator results will appear here.
Plan & shop
📝
List it. Plan meals around what you already have. Buy for the servings you’ll actually cook.
📦
First in, first out. Rotate pantry & fridge; put older items in front.
🏷️
Date labels. “Use by” is safety; “Best before” is quality. Trust senses, not panic.
Store smart
❄️
Freeze portions. Label dates; cool leftovers quickly and freeze flat.
🥶
Zones matter. Keep fridge 0–5°C; seal leafy greens; store herbs in a jar with water.
🧴
Containers. Clear boxes help you see & use food before it spoils.
Cook & portion
⚖️
Scale recipes. In RecipeGen, set servings realistically; avoid huge batches you won’t eat.
🥘
One-pot wins. Soups, stews, frittatas rescue odd veggies & scraps.
🍝
Leftover-first meals. Start dinner by checking last night’s fridge row.
Leftovers ideas
🍚
Rice → fried rice. Add eggs/veg; reheat thoroughly.
🍗
Roast chicken → tacos/salad. Shred with spices, add fresh toppings.
🍞
Stale bread → croutons/crumbs. Oven-dry; store airtight.
How RecipeGen reduces waste
- Portion scaling: set servings before you cook to match your household.
- Smart substitutions: swap ingredients you don’t have for ones in your fridge.
- Use-it-up suggestions: generate ideas based on what’s left.
- PDF clarity: clear storage & reheating notes help you use leftovers safely.
FAQ
Freeze promptly, label dates, and reheat thoroughly. Some textures change (e.g., leafy greens), but safety comes first.
Not necessarily. It’s about quality, not safety. Assess smell/texture/appearance and follow local guidance.
Seasoning scales non-linearly; taste and adjust. We keep instructions clear to help you balance flavors.
Sources & further reading
Eurostat — EU food waste statistics (EU-27, 2022): ~132 kg/person total; households ~72 kg (~54%).
UNEP — Food Waste Index Report 2024: global & national estimates, methodology.
Malefors et al., 2025 (ScienceDirect): indicative carbon footprint ≈ ~1.3 kg CO₂e/kg; category differences are large.
Liu et al., 2023 (MDPI Foods): household food-waste carbon footprints by category and region; wide variability.
Turn leftovers into your next meal
Scale servings, swap smart, and keep a tidy fridge. RecipeGen can help at each step.