ruoanjäte

Ruoanjäte refers to food waste generated during the production, preparation, and consumption of food. The term encompasses edible leftovers, trimmings, peels, spoiled foods, and expired products that are discarded rather than eaten. In many contexts, ruoanjäte is collected separately to facilitate recycling, composting, and safe disposal.

Sources include households, restaurants and cafes, schools and workplaces, grocery stores, and food processing facilities. A common distinction is made between avoidable waste (food that could have been eaten) and unavoidable waste (peels, bones, coffee grounds, and similar by-products).

Management follows the waste hierarchy: prevention first, then reuse, then recycling such as composting or anaerobic digestion, and finally disposal as a last resort. Many regions separate bio-waste from other waste streams to enable composting or biogas production. Compost produces a soil amendment; anaerobic digestion yields biogas and a nutrient-rich digestate used as fertilizer.

Environmental and social considerations include reducing methane emissions, conserving resources, and supporting food security. Contamination with plastics or metals can undermine recycling efforts. Legislation at the EU and national levels promotes separate collection of bio-waste and its diversion from landfills, alongside measures to prevent waste and promote efficient use of food.

Ruoanjäte is a major component of municipal waste and is increasingly integrated into circular economy strategies that seek to recover energy and nutrients from organic waste instead of emitting greenhouse gases in landfills.