Spain’s annual Food Waste Report shows fruit and vegetables remain the most wasted food category in the home
Fruit and vegetable products accounted for 46 per cent of all the food wasted in Spanish households during 2025.
That is according to the annual Food Waste Report, presented by the country’s minister of agriculture, fisheries and food, Luis Planas.
Although food waste decreased 19.2 per cent when compared with 2020, fruit and vegetables remained the food items most frequently ending up in household rubbish.
The report stated that just under 1.13mn tonnes or litres of food and beverages were wasted in Spain in 2025, representing a drop of 269,200 tonnes compared to 2020.
While the cumulative reduction stood at 19.2 per cent, the study noted a stabilisation of that downward trend in recent years.
Virtually all food waste occurs within the home. Spanish households discarded 1.1mn tonnes or litres of food and beverages, equivalent to 97.5 per cent of the waste total.
The majority of household waste consisted of unused food – accounting for 77.5 per cent of domestic waste – with fruit ranked first at 32.1 per cent, followed by vegetables at 13.9 per cent.
Together, fruit and vegetable products made up 46 per cent of unused food waste in households in 2025.
The report also analysed waste involving food already prepared at home.
Legume dishes were among the most frequently discarded items, making up 17.3 per cent of the total, followed by salads and vegetable dishes (14 per cent) and meat dishes (13.5 per cent).
Combined, legume, salad, and vegetable dishes represented 31.3 per cent of all food wasted in Spanish households.
On average, each resident in Spain wasted 24.3kg or litres over the course of the year, a 0.3 per cent decrease compared to 2024.
The Ministry attributed much of the improvement seen in recent years to greater public awareness, and highlighted the need to continue reinforcing practices such as shopping planning, proper food storage, and a better understanding of the difference between ‘use-by’ and ’best-before’ dates.
The report identified fruit and vegetables as a key area for action in further reducing household food waste.
“For Fepex, the data underscore the need to continue promoting consumer information and awareness initiatives aimed at improving shopping planning, the storage of fresh fruit and vegetables, and the utilisation of food within the home,” the association added.
