How Japan is tackling household food waste

Global food prices are expected to continue rising due to climate change and geopolitical instability, but a significant amount of food is still being wasted. Reducing food waste has become a global priority for governments, businesses and civil society – not only to ease household financial burdens, but also to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Around 1.05 billion tonnes of food was wasted across 102 countries in 2022, according to the UN Environment Programme’s Food Waste Index Report 2024. Around 60% of this waste came from households. The UN also estimates food loss and waste accounts for 8-10% of annual greenhouse gas emissions.

Many countries are working to address the challenge of food waste. In 2020, the Japanese government set initial targets to halve its food waste by 2030, using the 9.8 million tons recorded in fiscal year 2000 as a baseline. By 2022, total food waste had dropped to an estimated 4.72 million tons, with household and business waste each accounting for approximately 2.36 million tons. Even though the overall goal has already been achieved thanks to the commercial sector meeting its target eight years ahead of schedule, household food waste remains above its individual 2020 target of 2.16 million tons.

Japan's Consumer Affairs Agency estimates that, in 2022, household food waste alone resulted in an economic loss of roughly JPY40 trillion ($277 billion) and 10.46 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions. As households contribute half of Japan’s food waste, reducing their share is an urgent priority.

In Japan, government bodies, the private sector and academic researchers are all working to address the issue of food waste and create action plans to reduce it.

In March 2025, for example, the Japanese government approved the Basic Policy for Promoting Food Loss Reduction, setting revised targets for 2030. For households, the goal is still a 50% reduction from levels in 2000. For businesses, because they have already achieved the initial target, the government is now aiming for a 60% reduction.

The policy calls on stakeholders across the entire food supply chain – from producers and fisheries to retailers – to adopt new behaviours and mindsets to minimize food waste. It encourages public awareness campaigns and educational efforts in schools, communities and retail spaces to foster consumer engagement.

Local governments are also taking proactive steps. The Toyoma Food Loss Zero Strategy provides a digital platform where the prefecture’s residents can share and learn practical ideas, recipes and information to help households reduce food waste. To engage younger generations, the website also shares educational videos featuring mascots that teach children simple and accessible ways to prevent food waste.

The private sector is getting involved too. In November 2024, Aeon Next, an online supermarket, partnered with Panasonic’s consumer appliance subsidiary, Kurashi Appliances, to launch a pilot project to reduce forgotten items and expired food, while also evaluating smart appliances’ potential to reduce household food waste.

Smart refrigerators are equipped with AI-powered cameras and dedicated mobile apps to assess the freshness of stored ingredients and flag items that are approaching their best-by date. An app then provides meal ideas to encourage the use of these items. The system links with Aeon Next’s online grocery platform, Green Beans, for automatically generated shopping lists and online ordering.

A recent study analyzing household food waste by generation could help researchers, the government and private organizations to develop more tailored and impactful actions to cut food waste in Japan.

In a paper published in November 2024, a research team at Ritsumeikan University identified generational differences with regards to household food waste. The highest levels of waste were observed among those aged 70 and above, averaging 46 kg per person. This was nearly three times greater than the youngest group, aged 29 and under, who averaged 16.6 kg per person.

The differences are partly explained by younger generations eating out more often, while older adults tend to purchase more perishable foods. And the causes of food waste also differ across generations. The study found that older adults often waste food by trimming away too many edible parts when cooking, while younger people tend to leave behind uneaten leftovers from cooked meals.

These findings provide a foundation for developing more precise, generation-specific interventions to advance household food waste reduction in Japan.

Wasting food not only increases household expenses, it also contributes to rising carbon dioxide emissions. That's why the World Economic Forum is actively engaged in food loss reduction awareness, including a campaign in Bahrain, where 216,161 tonnes of household food is wasted annually – and almost triple that during the fasting month of Ramadan. The Forum has also appointed Zero Waste Japan founder Akira Sakano as a 2025 Young Global Leader.

Technological innovation and public awareness campaigns drive efforts to reduce food waste. Recent research also offers insights that could guide more effective, behaviour-based approaches. Further study could strengthen these initiatives even more. Combining these actions with other collaborative efforts by governments, private sector organizations and academia could create a model for more sustainable food use in households.

Reducing food waste is an environmental and an economic imperative, but it is also a vital step toward a more resilient and sustainable society.