Food waste at Christmas costs 90 euros per family

The circular economy applied to the food supply chain represents an economic as well as an environmental opportunity. The challenge is to move from isolated initiatives to an integrated system, where technological innovation, food education and public policies converge towards the goal of halving food waste by 2030, as set out in the UN Agenda.

The problem is often concentrated upstream in the industrial supply chain. According to Eurostat 2024, 19% of food waste in the European Union comes from industrial waste: peels, seeds and skins excluded due to processing problems, yet rich in fibre and antioxidants in higher quantities than the final product.

The circular economy can, however, turn the problem into an opportunity. The 45th National Congress of the Italian Society of Human Nutrition presented initiatives that valorise waste through food reformulation. At the University of Tuscia, tomato processing residues and hazelnut husks are being studied. Replacing 10 per cent refined flour with powder obtained from hazelnut husks results in a significant increase in monounsaturated fatty acids, as Dr. Lara Costantini explains, highlighting a fivefold increase in antioxidant capacity and a fibre content that allows the label 'rich in fibre'.

Even olive oil waste finds new life. The University of Teramo has demonstrated how the fermentation of pitted pomace yields a vegetable foodstuff with prebiotic impact and anti-inflammatory activity. In Umbria, the 'Polyphenols - Made in Umbria' project has created a 'zero waste' extra virgin oil by recovering polyphenols from vegetation waters. Sergio Rutili, director of Centumbrie, emphasises that 'the company is the first to produce oil with zero by-products: from olive pomace to pits, every residue finds new life.

The circular economy that starts with food, however, involves different sectors. Mondo and Nieddittas have created a supply chain that transforms mussel shells into material for athletics tracks. Calcium carbonate-rich shells replace material extracted from mining quarries. Making a track with biogenic carbonate is equivalent to offsetting the emissions of a Euro 4 diesel car for 60,000 kilometres, avoiding the disposal of tonnes of waste in landfills.

In the fashion industry, Id.Eight makes trainers from materials derived from fruit waste: apple peels, grape marc, pineapple leaves. The brand, founded in 2019, opened a pop-up in Turin with a window display that reads 'Every step represents a commitment to a more sustainable world'. Italy's Anema has also built its identity on a circular production model, converting natural raw materials of agricultural origin (apple peels and citrus waste) into accessories of excellence.

Small everyday initiatives also contribute. For example, chef Ciro di Maio of the San Ciro restaurant in Brescia has calculated that in his restaurant 35 litres of water a week, left in bottles by customers, is wasted and now donates it to the local Canile Rifugio. The chef hopes that this symbolic gesture will be imitated by other colleagues and that gastronomic guides will also evaluate the environmental commitment of restaurateurs.