25,000 Finns have used the food waste calculator to find out their waste figure

Finns want to make sustainable choices, understand the impact of food waste and ensure food does not go to waste. As many as over 25,000 consumers have calculated their waste figure with the free food waste calculator launched by Paulig and the Natural Resources Institute Finland (LUKE). Finnish households generate an estimated 25 kg of food waste per person each year. With the food waste calculator, the consumer can get carbon footprint and monetary value of their food waste. The carbon footprint is converted into food waste figure. The average figure in the calculator is 5. Paulig and LUKE encourage Finns to test the calculator to find out their waste figure.  

Find out your waste figure quickly and easily at lessfoodwaste.fi 

“I’m glad people have found our calculator and have been inspired to think about their food waste and their overall attitude towards food. Many operators in Finland are doing extremely important work to reduce food waste, and I’m happy to see the calculator also used outside the context of schools and educational institutions,” says Kaisa Lipponen, SVP, Communications & Sustainability at Paulig.  

“We tested the tool before releasing it in cooperation with students from the University of Helsinki. Their excitement for the subject matter proves that young people find this important, and many testers said that they had already thought about the environmental impact of their food waste.” 

In Finland, the food waste generated by households amounts to about 25 kg per person each year. Edible food goes to waste for various reasons. People often buy more than they use, do not appreciate food enough or do not want to or know how to use scraps to prepare other meals. “Leftover food is easy to add to an omelette, stew, pasta, pizza or pies, for example. However, properly planning the use of scraps is the key element here. Too many are confused about the labels on food packages, such as ‘best before’ and ‘use by’ date, for example. In reality, up to 50% of food thrown away is still edible. We hope that the new calculator will influence the habits and routines of consumers by making food waste something that is easier to perceive and measure,” says Juha-Matti Katajajuuri, Senior Customer Manager, Senior Scientist at Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke).   

Paulig fights food loss and waste throughout its value chain 

Food loss and waste is created throughout the value chain from the cultivation of raw materials to the production and consumption of food. As an international food and beverage company and sustainable frontrunner, Paulig finds it important to reduce food loss and waste. Paulig’s aim is to cut the food loss and waste in its value chain by 50% by 2030 and invites households to join the effort through the food waste calculator. Food loss and waste is generated at all stages of the food value chain, and households’ share of the food waste is significant – at least one third, as indicated by research. In Finland, about 500 million euros goes to waste in households every year.  A study conducted by Paulig and the University of Helsinki is currently investigating the creation of food loss at the first stages of Paulig’s supply chain, helping to find means of reducing food loss in the production chains of raw materials. The study will help Paulig understand which product categories and raw materials have the largest impact and how food loss could be tackled in the countries of origin. The study commissioned by Paulig will also help other food producers in the future. The results of the study will be published in the autumn. 

For further information, please contact:  

Anu-Maaria Vaalama 
Director, Corporate Communications and Brand 
Paulig  
+358 40 766 783 
anu-maaria.vaalama@paulig.com