To mark National Week Against Food Waste from September 12 to 20, 2026, “Too Good To Go” demonstrated how food waste can be reduced through simple habits and why, mathematically speaking, more than an average monthly food budget ends up in the trash every year.
Yesterday’s bread, a yogurt that has reached its best-by date, or vegetables forgotten in the refrigerator: What may seem like a small amount individually adds up over the course of a year. According to Too Good To Go, food worth about 620 francs per person is wasted in Switzerland. By comparison, Budgetberatung Schweiz estimates that a person living alone spends about 370 to 500 francs per month on food and non-alcoholic beverages. This means that, mathematically speaking, more than an average monthly food budget ends up in the trash every year.
Switzerland is still far from meeting its food waste target
Switzerland still generates approximately 2.8 million metric tons of food loss annually across the entire value chain (https://www.wwf.ch/de/unsere-ziele/food-waste). This equates to about 310 kilograms of avoidable food loss per person per year. By 2025, avoidable food loss was supposed to decrease by 25% compared to 2017. In reality, per capita food loss was reduced by only about 5% during this period. The long-term goal remains ambitious: By 2030, Switzerland aims to halve avoidable food loss compared to 2017.
While companies in the retail and foodservice sectors, in particular, are making progress by systematically tracking their losses, the Federal Council sees a need for further action on the part of private households.
Food waste often starts with small decisions
In households, food loss occurs, for example, when people buy too much, forget what they already have, or dispose of food that is still edible too quickly. A more mindful approach therefore begins with planning your shopping and extends to the storage and use of food. “Reducing food waste doesn’t have to be complicated. It’s the everyday decisions that, when added up, make a difference. If we shop for food more mindfully, use it for longer, and salvage leftovers, more of what has already been produced is preserved,” says Georg Strasser-Müller, Country Director of Too Good To Go Switzerland and Austria.
Four Simple Habits to Combat Food Waste in Everyday Life
Look first, then shop. Before you go shopping, it’s worth taking a look in the refrigerator and pantry. Roughly planning your meals also helps ensure you buy only the food you actually need and avoid buying duplicates.
Understand best-by dates correctly. The best-by date is the manufacturer’s guarantee that the product will remain of good quality until the printed date. However, products are often good for longer, and a sensory check—looking, smelling, and tasting—helps determine whether they’re still safe to eat.
Make leftovers visible. Move opened foods and items that need to be consumed soon to the front of the refrigerator and plan to use them intentionally.
Save surplus food. Even with good planning, bakeries, restaurants, hotels, and retailers have leftover food that can no longer be sold at regular prices. Through Too Good To Go, consumers can save such food at a reduced price.
Every step counts
In the second phase of its action plan against food waste, the Federal Council continues to rely on voluntary measures and greater involvement of the various stakeholders along the food value chain. At the same time, private households should be made more aware of food loss. National Week Against Food Waste provides a concrete opportunity for this: it brings food waste to light and shows that change doesn’t have to start with major political or economic measures. The way we handle food in our daily lives can also make a difference.
