Food waste per capita

Sub-categories

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Headline data

Source: Waste and Resource Action Programme

Geographical Area: United Kingdom

Unit of Measurement: Kilogrammes per person, kilotonnes

Footnote: 2009 Retail figures, 2011 Manufacturing and 2011 Hospitality and food service used as part of the 2007 12.3 baseline year totals

This table provides metadata for the actual indicator available from UK statistics closest to the corresponding global SDG indicator. Please note that even when the global SDG indicator is fully available from UK statistics, this table should be consulted for information on national methodology and other UK-specific metadata information.

Indicator available

Food waste per capita

Indicator description

UK food waste in Kg per capita.

Geographical coverage

United Kingdom

Unit of measurement

Kilogrammes per person, kilotonnes

Definitions

“Food” is any substance—whether processed, semi-processed, or raw—that is intended for human consumption. “Inedible parts” are components associated with a food that, in a particular food supply chain, are not intended to be consumed by humans.

Available disaggregations
Calculations

N/A

Other information

SDG 12.3 aims to reduce food loss and waste. Current UK data is for food waste.

Hospitality and Food Services data are a modelled result, based on changes in the number and types of hospitality and food service sites, and the assumption that food waste per site has remained constant since 2011. Currently there is not a data source to enable a UK-level estimate for food waste from this sector to be robustly estimated.

This indicator is being used as an approximation of the UN SDG Indicator. Where possible, we will work to identify or develop UK data to meet the global indicator specification. This indicator has been identified in collaboration with topic experts.

Data last updated 18 November 2021
Metadata last updated 15 March 2022

This table provides information on metadata for SDG indicators as defined by the UN Statistical Commission. Complete global metadata is provided by the UN Statistics Division.

Indicator name

(a) Food loss index and (b) food waste index

Target name

By 2030, halve per capita global food waste at the retail and consumer levels and reduce food losses along production and supply chains, including post-harvest losses

Global indicator description
UN designated tier

Tier II

UN custodian agency

Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), UN Environment (UNEP)

Link to UN metadata United Nations Sustainable Development Goals metadata for target 12.3 opens in a new window
Organisation

Waste and Resource Action Programme

Periodicity

N/A

Earliest available data

2007

Geographical coverage

UK

Link to data source UK progress against Courtauld 2025 targets and UN Sustainable Development Goal 12.3 opens in a new window
Release date 24 January 2020
Next release

01/11/2022

Statistical classification

Non-official

Contact details

info@wrap.org.uk

Other information

2009 Retail figures, 2011 Manufacturing and 2011 Hospitality and food service used as part of the 2007 12.3 baseline year totals

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