Tackling food waste in cities: the European TES-NFW project takes off

A European project exploring and tackling household food waste in Milan, Rome and Catania by engaging consumers through practical challenges and digital tools.

According to Eurostat data, in 2021 each European citizen wasted an average of 131 kg of food, amounting to a total of 58 million tonnes with an estimated value of €132 billion. In 2020, the environmental impact of food waste generation was 252 million tonnes of CO₂, accounting for 16% of the total environmental impact produced by EU countries. Since approximately 54% of food waste occurs at the household consumption stage, there is an urgent need to develop and implement effective strategies to tackle the issue.

To address this challenge, the project "Take EAT Seriously: don’t play with food" (TES-NFW) was launched. Funded by the European Commission and coordinated by Fondazione Banco Alimentare ETS, the 24-month initiative was officially kicked off on 1st October 2025.

The project aims to reduce household food waste, particularly in the urban contexts of Milan, Rome, and Catania. It will do so through a series of experimental activities and practical challenges, involving both employees from partner companies and consumers affiliated with ConfConsumatori APS. These actions are designed to encourage behavioural changes in food purchasing, storage, preparation, and the proper reuse of edible leftovers. Collectively known as the “Anti-Waste Tournament”, the activities will be supported by digital platforms developed by Shair.Tech SRL, which will track participants’ progress and behavioural shifts over time.

The Department of Management, Economics and Industrial Engineering of Politecnico di Milano is a project partner through its Food Sustainability Lab, led by Professor Paola Garrone. The research team will contribute by:

• conducting qualitative and quantitative research on food habits and waste behaviours in the three cities, building on the latest academic findings;
• supporting the design and development of the “Anti-Waste Tournament” and its associated monitoring platforms;
• analysing the data collected during the activities and comparing them with data from control groups, in order to assess the effectiveness of the engagement strategies.

With its experimental approach and direct participant involvement, TES-NFW aims not only to achieve concrete reductions in household food waste, but also to generate scientific evidence to inform more sustainable policies and practices in urban settings.

The project is coordinated by Fondazione Banco Alimentare ETS.

Partners include Politecnico di Milano, ConfConsumatori APS, and Shair.Tech SRL.