By: Ana Novo Barros
From: UTAD
As the WASTELESS project enters Month 36, this milestone provides an important opportunity to reflect on the progress achieved so far, acknowledge the challenges encountered, and outline the next steps ahead.
WASTELESS – Waste Quantification Solutions to Limit Environmental Stress, funded under the Horizon Europe programme (Grant Agreement No. 101084222), continues to focus on the development of innovative, reliable, and harmonised solutions for the measurement and monitoring of food loss and waste (FLW) across key food value chains in the European Union. Originally scheduled to conclude in December 2025, the project has been granted an extension until May 2026, allowing the consortium to further consolidate results, strengthen validation activities, and support the uptake of project outputs in real operational contexts.
During this phase, project activities have continued to advance along three main pillars:
1. Innovative FLW measurement methodologies
Significant progress has been made in testing and refining novel methodologies for the quantification of FLW at different stages of the food supply chain. These approaches have been applied and validated across multiple case studies, including fruit and vegetables, juices, processed meat, dairy products, and cereals. This diversity has enabled the collection of robust and comparable datasets, supporting a more accurate understanding of FLW patterns across sectors.
2. Data harmonisation and integration
A key focus has been the development of a harmonised methodological framework that enables the integration and comparison of FLW data across different regions, sectors, and data sources. This framework aims to reduce uncertainty in FLW estimates and to enhance data interoperability, providing a strong evidence base to support both policy development and practical decision-making at EU level.
3. Decision Support Toolbox
The project is also progressing towards the consolidation of a systemic Decision Support Toolbox, designed to support stakeholders across the food supply chain — including primary producers, food industry operators, retailers, and food service providers. The toolbox integrates digital tools, indicators, and practical methodologies to facilitate the assessment, management, and ultimately the reduction of FLW.
Throughout this period, collaboration among partners from 14 countries has remained strong, reinforcing the multidisciplinary and pan-European nature of the project. This collaborative approach is central to ensuring that the solutions developed within WASTELESS are both scientifically robust and practically applicable.
Challenges and Outlook
The project extension provides valuable time to further validate results across diverse operational contexts and to ensure that WASTELESS outputs are robust, scalable, and transferable beyond the project’s lifetime. In parallel, efforts are underway to strengthen dissemination and exploitation activities, including scientific publications, stakeholder engagement actions, and capacity-building initiatives such as webinars and workshops.
Next steps
WASTELESS remains fully aligned with the objectives of the European Green Deal, particularly the commitment to halving per capita food waste at retail and consumer levels by 2030. As the project moves into its final phase, the consortium remains committed to delivering tangible, evidence-based solutions that contribute to more sustainable, efficient, and resilient food systems.
We would like to thank all partners and stakeholders for their continued engagement and collaboration, and we look forward to sharing further results and insights in the coming months.