"Antigaspi" awareness campaign: eight golden rules for wasting less food

In the Grand Duchy, households are responsible for 75% of the amount of food thrown away in the garbage. To encourage the general public to waste less, particularly during the end-of-year celebrations, the Ministry of Agriculture, Viticulture and Rural Development is relaunching an awareness campaign from 13 December 2022.

The aim is to inform citizens about the eight correct "anti-gaspi" gestures to adopt on a daily basis, and thus reduce food waste, which is often due to lack of information on the part of consumers.

According to Minister Claude Haagen, "this campaign meets a real need for information among residents of the Grand Duchy. In September, our ILRES survey revealed the determining factors of food waste in Luxembourg households. 84 % of the households questioned think that there should be greater awareness-raising amongst the public, as an important lever to reduce food waste. In order to halve food waste by 2030, we need to better inform our citizens.

Simple and effective "antigaspi" rules

The new campaign focuses on eight effective golden rules for a more responsible use of food. Indeed, the vast majority of household food waste is not the result of intentional consumer behaviour. It is rather a consequence of actions based on a lack of information, such as how to transport fresh products from the supermarket back home, or how to correctly interpret the different expiry dates. By following these eight simple tips on a daily basis, the informed consumer is able to reduce the amount of food thrown away.

  • Shop wisely
  • Give ugly veggies a chance
  • Do not break the cold chain
  • Stock the fridge correctly
  • Store food correctly
  • Check the shelf life
  • Don't take too big a portion
  • Be creative with leftovers

Check the shelf life of food before throwing it away

According to the survey conducted last September, 75 % of those questioned were unaware of the correct meaning of best-before date (BBD). The awareness campaign therefore places particular emphasis on ensuring that the different expiry dates on packaging are correctly understood.

Municipalities as multipliers in the fight against food waste

The Ministry of Agriculture, Viticulture and Rural Development is also mobilising municipalities to join forces in the fight against food waste by promoting the golden rules and good practices of "anti-food waste" among their residents. Thus, the practical guide for municipalities "Zesumme geint d'Liewensmëttelverschwendung  − D'Gemengen als Multiplicateur: Praktesch Rotschléi fir manner ze verbëtzen." has been reissued.

Finally, as the end-of-year festivities approach, the Minister of Agriculture, Viticulture and Rural Development, Claude Haagen, invites citizens to "support farmers by choosing regional, seasonal and organic products for their menus, while avoiding wasting food".

Press release by the Ministry of Agriculture, Viticulture and Rural Development

Last update