Irish households have wasted more than €645 million of food so far this year

Having previously shared a county-by-county breakdown of the nation’s food waste bill at the end of 2025, Too Good To Go is urging the public to be mindful of their food waste

Too Good To Go says Irish households are on track to waste more than €1.2bn worth of food in 2026

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Sustainability

Read More: EPA Too Good To Go

As Ireland approaches the midpoint of the year, Too Good To Go, the world’s largest marketplace for surplus food, recently highlighted the nation’s shocking food waste bill of more than €645 million so far this year.

Having previously shared a county-by-county breakdown of the nation’s food waste bill at the end of 2025, Too Good To Go is urging the public to be mindful of their food waste.

As the EPA reports that one third of all the food we buy ends up in the bin, the surplus food app is reminding the public that the country is on track to waste more than €1.2 billion on food this year.

Research from the EPA indicates that the average Irish household wastes an estimated €60 a month or more than €700 of salvageable food a year.

When this is multiplied by the more than 1.8 million occupied households in the State, it works out at an estimated €1.2 billion in potentially wasted food over a 12-month period.

The financial and environmental cost

While the financial figures are significant, there is also an environmental impact to consider, as food waste accounts for approximately 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions**.

A large portion of the items making their way to Irish bins are everyday staples like bread, fresh fruit, and vegetables, which can often be frozen or repurposed with a little bit of effort.

By taking practical steps at home, such as writing a shopping list, meal planning, proper storage, and using up leftovers, Irish households can significantly reduce the amount of food they waste and help reduce their shopping costs.

Machaela O’Leary, Key Accounts manager at Too Good To Go Ireland, commented: “It’s hard to grasp that over €3 million of food is wasted in Ireland every single day.

“But small changes can really add up in the long term. Simple, everyday actions like meal planning, freezing leftover bread, or Look, Smell and Tasting something before throwing it away can help keep money in your pocket, reduce food waste and have a positive impact on the environment.”

County food waste breakdowns:

Read more: 61% of people throw out leftovers from summer BBQs – Too Good To Go research reveals

© 2026, ShelfLife by Ryan Brennan

Read More: EPA Too Good To Go

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