Food waste increased significantly in Kuwait in recent years: Food Bank

Food waste increased significantly in Kuwait in recent years: Food Bank

By Majd Othman

KUWAIT: A recent report indicated that an individual in Kuwait wastes 95 kg of food annually. Meanwhile, Kuwaiti families waste 397,700 tons of food every year, according to the food waste index report for 2021 issued by the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) and partner organization WRAP. The report shows that most of this waste comes from households, which dispose 11 percent of the total food available in the consumption stage in the food chain, while food service establishments and retail outlets waste five percent and two percent respectively.

Meshal Al-Ansari, Vice President of Kuwait Bank for Food and Relief, told Kuwait Times the bank had submitted a project proposal to relevant authorities to establish a factory that recycles surplus food to produce chemical fertilizer and animal feed. “Food waste has increased significantly in Kuwait in the past few years due to a lack of awareness by individuals and food service establishments, which requires a strong pause to study the laws and legislation that should be set to reduce food waste,” Ansari stressed.

Kuwait ranks 20 on the list of top food-wasting countries in the world, according to the report, with 931 million tons of food wasted annually in the