Here are the figures released on the occasion of the 13th National Day for the Prevention of Food Waste in Italy, along with the projects saving food from the bin.
Food waste in Italy is worth more than 13.5 billion euros a year, equivalent to over 5 billion tonnes of food. These figures cover the entire supply chain, from field losses to household waste, taking in supermarkets, shops, restaurants and canteens along the way. They were published by the Waste Watcher International Observatory – Università di Bologna for Campagna Spreco Zero, based on data and analysis by Ipsos/Doxa, in the report "Il caso Italia 2026", on the occasion of the 13th National Day for the Prevention of Food Waste on 5 February.
This year the Campagna Spreco Zero also launched the Donometro, a new digital platform developed with the support of Fipe that will go live during 2026 and will make it easier for food-service businesses to donate surplus food to third-sector organisations. Every day bars, pastry shops and small retailers are left with unsold food that is still perfectly fit for consumption. Turning this surplus into a social resource and preventing it from becoming waste is the Donometro's goal. Through the platform, a business owner will be able to register and confirm a donation in just a few clicks. The recipient organisation receives an instant notification, arranges collection and digitally archives the transaction in a process that is fast, secure and fully traceable.
Through the Lifegate Instagram channel, our community has flagged a great many other projects and organisations that fight food waste every day, while also promoting solidarity and inclusion. Here are some of them (many are looking for volunteers!).
A project born in Bari from the non-profit organisation 'Farina 080', with the aim of developing innovative initiatives against food waste: among them, a solidarity fridge at various points around the city for storing and sharing fresh food surplus, and School sharing, which raises awareness among schoolchildren through workshops and activities. It was recognised by President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella in 2018, and in 2019 it won the "Vivere a Spreco Zero" award promoted by the Campagna Spreco Zero of Last Minute Market.
Based in Rome, it is an association that "recovers food and nurtures humanity". Through several projects that also involve refugees and asylum seekers, it works to reduce food waste, help those in need, promote a solidarity-based circular economy, combat discrimination and inequality, and facilitate social and professional inclusion.
An organisation born in Genova to recover and redistribute food surplus by connecting associations, businesses, schools and citizens. Over time it has begun to focus heavily on the root causes of waste, with the aim of preventing it and creating zero-waste cities with fair and healthy access to food.
Based in the province of Turin, it is a volunteers' association that runs social canteens where meals prepared from food surplus recovered from local markets and shops are donated to those in need. It does not use plastic tableware and has invested in solar panels to generate energy.
An initiative born in Cremona from a group of volunteers who, every Saturday, cycle through the town centre on cargo bikes collecting food products from the market and then redistributing them. It also carries out educational activities in schools and includes a digital solidarity pantry where people can put together their own food parcel. Volunteers welcome!
This is the solidarity pantry of the Unione Terre di Castelli, in the province of Modena, where people experiencing socio-economic hardship can do their shopping, choosing essential goods from the shelves. It is a tool for fighting food waste and supporting income, but also a place for meeting and building relationships, with people and community at its heart.
This is the on-the-road project run by Acli Roma to recover bread, fruit and vegetables at risk of being wasted, which are then redistributed to organisations in the capital serving the most vulnerable. New volunteers are welcome, even for just a few hours!
A project by the association Le Mele di Newton in Florence to combat waste: it creates tailored services for individuals or local areas and carries out training and awareness-raising activities, in schools and beyond.
An app that suggests recipes based on what you have in the fridge: simply enter the ingredients and discover plenty of ideas for zero-waste dishes. You can also filter recipes by the time available or by a missing ingredient.
In Cervia, this is the community kitchen of the Cervia Social Food project, where hunger — but also loneliness — is tackled. People in need receive a meal prepared from recovered surplus food and can stay on to socialise. Table service is provided by the special young people from a social-occupational centre, while dozens of volunteers work inside the kitchen.
A circular economy project in the Bergamo area: volunteers handle the recovery of food from supermarkets, shops and businesses, prepare packages and distribute them to charitable organisations. There is also a physical pantry where food can be taken free of charge, and an educational pantry that organises workshops and training activities.
A volunteer organisation in the Marche region made up of "food-catching" operators who, once they have recovered surplus food (at weddings too), are tasked with transporting it within a few hours to charitable bodies.
This organisation focuses on recovering surplus food from markets in Collegno, Grugliasco and Rivoli (Turin) and redistributing it to those in need. It also runs cookery workshops and community lunches.