Packaged produce drives significant food waste in retail stores

A report by researchers from the IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute and RISE indicates that packaged fruits and vegetables are a major driver of food waste in retail stores. In many cases, a single damaged item can cause an entire package to be discarded. Research shows that mixed packaging—such as tomatoes, potatoes, berries, and grapes sold together—accounts for up to half of all fruit and vegetable waste in grocery stores.

In a small retail setting, this waste can cost nearly 200,000 SEK annually and result in 6.6 tons of CO2 emissions. The items contributing most to these costs include strawberries, lettuce, and potatoes.

Researchers suggest several practical solutions to mitigate these losses, including selling items at a discount, creating waste bags, selling loose produce after sorting, or utilizing surplus ingredients in in-store kitchens. Implementing waste bags alone has been shown to reduce waste management costs for retailers by more than 25 percent.