Paris: France has decided to crack down on food wastage by becoming the first country in the world to ban supermarkets from throwing away unsold food. Supermarkets will now have to donate any leftover items to needy charities and food banks. According to Dailymail, the new law was passed unanimously by the French senate and comes after a lengthy campaign from anti-poverty activists, calling for the government to put in measures to reduce food waste. The expected surge in donations to food banks has led to calls for more volunteers and helpers to assist in sorting and distributing it to the needy.
Measures will also be put in place to prevent supermarkets from destroying or damaging food before it is thrown out.There has been previous incidents where supermarkets have poured bleach onto items after they have been binned in a bid to deter people from scavenging them from the bins. Having won success with their anti-food wastage campaign in France, activists are now looking to encourage other EU countries to take a stance against food waste. The new rules will mean that super owners will be expected to sign a donation contract, which will outline how the store will give leftover food to charities.
The policy will be further implemented with the threat of fines, up to €75,000 (£53,000), or even a jail sentence for those who disobey the rules. The anti-food wastage rule will only affect supermarkets of the size of 400 sq metres (4,305 sq ft). Arash Derambarsh, a municipal councillor for Courbevoie, told the Guardian, that the policy should be rolled out to other EU countries. The next step is to ask the president, François Hollande, to put pressure on Jean-Claude Juncker and to extend this law to the whole of the EU. “This battle is only just beginning. We now have to fight food waste in restaurants, bakeries, school canteens and company canteens,” he said.
