KUCHING: Malaysian households generate between 31.9kg and 97.3kg of food waste per person annually, with nearly eight in 10 households still disposing of food waste together with general household rubbish, according to the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM).
The findings, published in the Special Release: Household Food Waste in Malaysia 2025, showed that 79.3 per cent of households do not separate food waste, while only 20.7 per cent practise separate disposal.
DOSM said the low adoption of food waste separation remains a key obstacle to improving organic waste management and reducing dependence on landfills.
Most households discard less than 500g of food weekly, with raw food making up 48.2 per cent of food waste and processed or cooked food 45.6 per cent.
Chief Statistician Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Uzir Mahidin said the findings highlight food waste as an increasingly important issue due to its implications for food security, resource efficiency, social well-being and environmental sustainability.
The survey found 94.1 per cent of households discarded processed or cooked food compared with 88.7 per cent for raw food, indicating that waste occurs mainly after food has been prepared.
Vegetables were the most wasted raw food (29.1 per cent), followed by fruits (22.4 per cent) and fish or seafood (15 per cent).
Among prepared food, rice accounted for the largest share (16.7 per cent), ahead of vegetables (15.8 per cent) and takeaway food (13.8 per cent).
Expired food was the leading cause of household food waste (19.3 per cent), followed by storing leftovers for too long (18.1 per cent), overbuying (15.2 per cent) and cooking excessive amounts (15.1 per cent).
DOSM said Malaysia’s household food waste pattern broadly aligns with global trends, with annual per capita waste comparable to the global average of 79kg, although local dietary habits contribute to higher wastage of rice and vegetables.
