Through a nationwide media campaign, the project "Don't waste food!" urges Polish consumers to change their wasteful ways. Excessive food waste is today a serious problem that affects not only consumers' pockets, but also our environment, as tons of discarded food is left rotting in landfills, releasing harmful greenhouse gases.
Similar to their European counterparts, Polish consumers throw away large parts of the food they buy due to excessive shopping. However, the problem also lies with the food producers, transportation services, and supermarket chains whose policies do not seem to take the waste problem into account. It is estimated that around one third of all food in Poland is effectively squandered.
"Don't waste food!" was officially launched on 30 March 2009, when the project promoter Federation of Polish Food Banks invited journalists from local and national media to introduce the national campaign. The gathered media were treated to a cooking performance by renowned Polish chefs Jan and Jakub Kuro, who demonstrated how to cook efficiently to reduce food waste. Experts on food processing, nutrition and eating attitudes also took part in a discussion panel as part of the event.
For more information about the campaign and how to get involved, visit the project webpage.