Too Good To Go’s warning: in Italy, over 257 kg of food wasted every second

On the occasion of International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste, held on 29 September, Too Good To Go is sounding the alarm by sharing figures that capture the scale of the phenomenon in Italy.

Over 257 kg of food wasted every second in Italy

According to Eurostat data, 8.127.009 tonnes of food are wasted every year along the food supply chain in Italy. Translated into a more immediate timescale, this means over 257 kg of food wasted every second, approximately 15,4 tonnes per minute and 925,2 tonnes every hour.

This figure helps make the scale of a phenomenon often perceived as distant or abstract more tangible: as the seconds pass, hundreds of kilograms of food that could still potentially be put to good use become waste. But the cost of waste is not limited to the food that is lost. Behind every food item are water, land, energy and other resources used to produce, process and bring it to the consumer.

Considering the 925,2 tonnes of food wasted every hour, the resources used to produce that food and not put to good use correspond, according to Too Good To Go estimates, to approximately 308 Olympic swimming pools of water and 373 football pitches of land. The environmental scale of the problem also emerges at global level: according to WWF, in 2024 food waste was associated with approximately 10% of greenhouse gas emissions generated by human activities.

Food waste among the priorities for climate action

The significance of the phenomenon was also reaffirmed by the Policy Brief published by the United Nations Environment Programme (Unep) in 2026, which identifies reducing food waste as one of the five priority areas for action to accelerate climate action and reduce emissions that contribute to global warming.

The document also highlights the role that technological solutions can play in promoting more circular food systems, citing apps for redistributing surplus food among the tools available, capable of connecting surplus from retail sales with consumers.

In Italy, Too Good To Go saves over 15 kg of food from waste every minute

In this scenario, even an everyday action can help reduce the amount of food that ends up being wasted. And technology can help. From 2019 to today, the Too Good To Go app has helped save 37 million meals from waste in Italy, connecting businesses and companies in the food sector with consumers and giving a second life to good products at risk of being wasted.

In 2025 alone, approximately 8 million meals were saved, equivalent to over 15 kg of food saved every minute through the app. This result was made possible by a community of over 13 million people who have downloaded the app and a network of over 26.000 businesses partners that use Too Good To Go to put their surplus to good use.

Reducing waste means making the most of resources

The impact of the model also translates into environmental benefits: since 2019, thanks to the meals saved through Too Good To Go in Italy, 100.710 tonnes of CO2e and approximately 30 billion litres of water, an amount equivalent to approximately 13.000 Olympic swimming pools, have been saved. At the same time, recovering surplus generates an economic benefit for consumers: in Italy, users have already saved over 310 million euros through the app.

A model that therefore brings three dimensions together: people, businesses and the Planet. On the one hand, it enables consumers to recover good food at an affordable price; on the other, it gives businesses a tool to put their surplus to good use; finally, it helps prevent resources already used to produce food from being used in vain.

The comment

“Food waste is a huge problem, but the way to tackle it can start with something very simple: recognising the value of food once again and ensuring that food which is still good does not go to waste. The figures show us the scale of the challenge: in Italy, while we are reading these words, over 257 kg of food is being wasted every second. But the same figures also remind us that every choice can help change this dynamic. Reducing waste does not necessarily mean making major revolutions: it can mean making the most of a surplus, changing a consumption habit or simply choosing to recover food that would otherwise be wasted. Because tackling such a major problem can also start with an everyday action: restoring value to food and the resources needed to bring it to us”, comments Mirco Cerisola, country director of Too Good To Go Italia.

This article was translated from the original Italian version with the assistance of artificial intelligence. In case of discrepancies, please refer to the original Italian version.