France's annual food waste weighs about the same as nearly 1,000 Eiffel Towers, according to calculations by ADEME, the agency for ecological transition. This waste amounts to around 10 million tons per year, or 150 kilograms per person—roughly the weight of an average European adult. The waste is split among consumption (33%), agricultural production (32%), processing (21%), and distribution (14%). It costs 16 billion euros annually and generates 15.3 million tons of CO₂, despite the AGEC law of 2020 aimed at reducing it. ADEME first identified this issue in 2016, and its findings continue to guide public policy. It is estimated that 20% of food produced in France ends up in the trash, meaning a fifth of the country’s food production is wasted without ever being consumed. Food waste does not occur only in the kitchen when people scrape their plates; it begins much earlier, in the fields where crops are grown. The waste rate varies significantly depending on the type of food. Eggs, which are durable and easy to store, have a loss rate of only 9%. In contrast, lettuce has a much higher loss rate of 57%, meaning nearly half of all lettuce ends up in the trash. This autumn, as markets are filled with pumpkins, cabbages, and seasonal salads, this statistic becomes especially relevant. Fresh produce, like lettuce, is particularly prone to waste due to its short shelf life and sensitivity to handling. France's food waste costs nearly 16 billion euros annually—an amount equivalent to what households could save by buying only what they consume. Environmentally, the impact is equally significant: this waste generates 15.3 million tons of CO₂, or about 3% of the country's greenhouse gas emissions, comparable to the emissions of entire industrial sectors. Only a small fraction of this waste is repurposed. Less than 2 million tons, or about 20% of the total waste, are used as animal feed. The rest is either burned, composted, or buried, without serving any useful purpose. More recent data, compiled by the Ministry of Ecological Transition using figures from Eurostat, confirm this trend. In 2023, France produced 9.7 million tons of food waste, of which 3.8 million tons involved food that was still perfectly edible when discarded. In response, France has enacted legislation. The AGEC law, passed in 2020, provides a clear legal definition of food waste: any food intended for human consumption that is lost, thrown away, or degraded at any stage of the food chain. This law has mandated that supermarkets donate surplus food, better regulate use-by dates, and raise consumer awareness through labeling. In practice, every small action can help reduce this imaginary pile of Eiffel Towers. Better planning purchases, cooking leftovers, and learning to store delicate foods like lettuce or ripe fruits properly are simple habits that, when adopted by millions of households, could significantly reduce food waste. Behind these staggering statistics lies a more tangible reality: a food system that often prioritizes overproduction over precise planning. Ultimately, these hundreds of imaginary Eiffel Towers are not an unavoidable mathematical outcome, but a reflection of collective habits that can still change.