Poland's Lewiatan launches campaign to curb food waste

Poland discards about 4.8 million tonnes of food each year, with roughly 60 % of the loss occurring in households. The waste could provide around 12 billion 400‑gram meals.

Polska Sieć Handlowa Lewiatan is running a nationwide educational campaign, "Lokalnie kupuję, nie marnuję!", from 30 July to 14 August 2026 in its stores. The initiative offers in‑store materials that teach shoppers how to plan purchases, read labels, store food properly and avoid discarding items past their expiry dates. Surveys show 57 % of Poles cite expired dates as the main reason for waste, while 63 % say they read labels and 70 % consider ingredient lists when buying.

The campaign is part of a broader discussion on healthy eating in 2026, which highlights the rise of ultra‑processed foods and the difficulty of making nutritious choices amid abundant product options. Reducing household food waste is presented as a practical step that does not require radical lifestyle changes but relies on better planning and consumer awareness.