Zero-waste cooking
The way we cook and consume has a direct impact on the planet. In Europe, according to data from the FAO (Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations) and the European Commission, each person wastes an average of 173 kg of food per year. This problem not only has an enormous economic and social cost, but also an environmental one: when food is thrown away, the water, energy, land, and labour invested in producing it are also wasted. Furthermore, its decomposition in landfills generates methane, a powerful greenhouse gas that contributes significantly to climate change.
Faced with this challenge, zero-waste cooking proposes a shift in perspective: making the most of every ingredient, recovering traditional preservation techniques, and giving new life to what we previously considered “leftovers”. In Ibiza and Formentera, where insularity and tourist pressure make the transition towards circular models even more urgent, this practice becomes a real and accessible solution for advancing towards a more sustainable food system.
What you can do
- Plan your shopping and avoid buying more than you actually need.
- Make the most of excess food: preserve, freeze, or transform food before it spoils.
- Rediscover traditional techniques such as pickling, fermenting, or preparing broths from scraps and leftovers.
- Share or donate food you are not going to consume.
- Be inspired by zero-waste cooking, which turns leftovers and food scraps into creative and nutritious dishes.
Our resources
To move from theory to practice, at Ibiza & Formentera Preservation we have developed different initiatives that offer solutions adapted to the local community, the hospitality and catering sectors, and professional education:
Culinary Activists
We offer workshops open to the public at local farms and specific training for professional chefs, where techniques for making the most of food, preserving seasonal ingredients, and creative recipes that reduce waste are taught. Furthermore, we provide you with the Guide for Culinary Activists, a visual publication full of zero-waste techniques and tips to apply both at home and in restaurants.
Follow our social media and don’t miss the next workshops!
Zero Waste Chefs EU
This European project, funded by the European Union’s Erasmus+ programme and developed by Ibiza & Formentera Preservation together with IES Isidor Macabich (Ibiza) and Tallinna Teeninduskool (Estonia), promotes the integration of the zero waste approach in culinary training. To this end, we have created the Guide to Good Practices for Zero Waste Kitchens and a free online course (MOOC), available in English, Spanish, Catalan and Estonian. While the guide is aimed mainly at teachers, hospitality students, and kitchen and catering professionals, it includes some useful hints and delicious zero-waste recipes that anyone can try out for themselves at home!
Access the guide and the course at zerowastechefs.eu.
