Half of Germans buy food close to expiry, but much food still ends up in the bin

According to a survey carried out as part of the national campaign “Too good for the bin!”, supported by the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL), 25% of respondents regularly buy aesthetically defective fruit and vegetables. 22% of respondents reported that they used to choose pastries and fresh produce that are sold out before closing time and 18.5% buy pastries from the day before.

Despite an increasing number of shoppers opting for food with a short shelf-life, half of German households still throw a lot of food in the bin. 80% of those surveyed feel guilty about this.

The most common reason why shoppers throw out products is that they no longer seem edible because of their smell. A third throw food in the garbage because of its appearance or expiry date.

The study also found a generational difference in wasting food. Half of those aged 65 and over throw food in the trash less often than once a month, while more than 70% of 30-39 year olds throw food in the bin at least once a month. Among 18-29 year olds, this proportion is just over 60%.

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