What do we throw away the most? Data from the Freshy community

Every time someone on Freshy marks an item as eaten or thrown away, that information anonymously joins our community stats. We took a look at the data collected up to mid-October 2026: nearly 600 products. It's not a statistically representative sample, but these are real habits from real people—and they definitely tell a story.

The most tracked categories

Taking the top spot is dairy, accounting for about one in four items: yogurt, fresh cheese, milk, mozzarella. Next come sweets and pastries, followed by bread and grains, fruit, vegetables, and snacks.

What gets saved and what gets tossed

The difference across categories is huge:

• vegetables, eggs, meat, and fish are saved pretty well: three out of four times, or more, they end up on the table;
• dairy and bread sit right in the middle: one in two gets saved;
• sweets, snacks, and fruit almost always end up in the bin: less than one in five items actually gets eaten.

Why sweets and snacks specifically?

One possible explanation: meat, fish, and vegetables are usually bought with a specific meal in mind. You know when you're going to cook them, so you keep an eye on them. Sweets, pastries, and snacks, on the other hand, are bought "just to have something in the house." They have a long shelf life, get pushed to the back of the pantry, and are only rediscovered after they've already expired—sometimes months later.

With fruit, the opposite happens: it has a short shelf life, gets bought in bulk, and all it takes is one busy week for everything to ripen all at once.

Three ideas for your next grocery trip

1. Sweets and snacks: buy smaller packs and keep them in front, not tucked away in the back. If you have a stash, log it on Freshy: the app will remind you before the expiration date.
2. Fruit: buy smaller amounts more often, instead of a whole box every week. Overripe fruit can easily be turned into smoothies, quick jams, or baked treats.
3. Dairy: check the date before buying another yogurt. Chances are, there's already an open one in the fridge.

The numbers, updated daily

These numbers grow every day along with the community. You can always find the latest stats, along with kilograms of food saved and CO₂ avoided, on the Freshy impact page.

What about you? Which category slips under your radar the most? Let us know in the comments!