Easter without food waste – how to plan your shopping rationally?

Mazurek cakes, cheesecakes, cold cuts, eggs… In a moment we will head to supermarkets for big shopping trips, too often guided by the Polish rule of showing off abundance. Because Easter is a celebration of plenty and traditional indulgence after a long fast. It does not, however, have to become an opportunity for food waste, for which the whole Earth will pay.

Bins full of food

According to data cited by the Ministry of Agriculture, in Poland we waste about 5 million tonnes of food every year. Of this, households account for about 2.5 million tonnes, while the rest is the responsibility of producers, suppliers, shops, and restaurants. Calculations by the Institute of Environmental Protection – National Research Institute show that each of us throws away an average of 67 kg of food per year, which translates to about 165 kg per household, the equivalent of more than 270 loaves of bread.

Across the entire EU, annual food waste according to Eurostat reaches 58 million tonnes – a colossal amount that represents not only millions of uneaten meals, but also enormous consumption of energy and water. Under the new waste directive, households should reduce this by 30 percent by 2030. How can this be achieved?

In many countries, organizations are already operating to recover unused food and redistribute it to those in need. Real change, however, must begin in our homes, where food is the hardest to save and whose demand drives production in the food industry.

According to Sylwia Łaba, an expert at the Institute of Environmental Protection – National Research Institute, holidays are a time when our consumption habits are particularly visible. We buy and prepare more than we are able to eat. Easter is no exception.

Plan Easter just right

Research conducted by the Polish Food Banks Federation shows that bread is the most frequently discarded product, followed by cold cuts, fruit, and vegetables. As we can see, these are products with a short shelf life – bought in excess, they lose freshness after a few days and often spoil. The conclusion is simple: we need to buy less.

In the context of the approaching Easter, this means the need to prepare a shopping plan. No one is saying that we should give up traditional dishes that bring us so much joy – the point is to avoid leftovers remaining on the table after the meal. In practice, this means putting less bread and fewer cold cuts into the shopping basket, and some products can be skipped altogether. It is very likely that during the holidays no one will eat tomatoes or bananas anyway.

A freezer will also come in handy – pieces of pâté, ham, cheese, or slices of bread can easily be frozen and used later to prepare toast or baked dishes. Meat dishes that were not eaten can be preserved while hot and used after the holidays.

Benefits of culinary moderation

The Copernicus Science Centre has calculated that an average Polish family loses about 2,500 PLN per year on wasted food – a significant amount that could cover a children’s holiday camp or extracurricular activities. Financial savings, however, are not the most important aspect.

Easter without culinary excess primarily means that we will eat a bit less. This is important because, according to the National Institute of Public Health, by 2030 as many as one in three Poles may suffer from obesity. Already, 41–46 percent of men and 20–31 percent of women are overweight – smaller portions will only benefit health.

Finally, Easter is a celebration of renewal and the spring awakening to life. It is worth celebrating it not through gluttony, but through physical and spiritual contact with nature. Meanwhile, food waste worldwide is responsible for 8–10 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. If each of us buys and eats less, both we and the Earth will feel the relief!