In continuance of a post about Dumpster diving last week, I would like mention about France’s supermarket waste law. I’m sure you all are aware that France has banned supermarket to throw away the unsold food. Instead they now need to give it away to food charities or to the homeless people. If they do this, they can get a tax write off by showing receipts that they gave the unsold food to the charities. What a BRILLIANT move!
Young right-wing politician, Arash Derambarsh, who says he was outraged by the sight of homeless people last winter scrambling in supermarket bins. So he started an online petition which made this into a law in France. Now he is planning to move this law into other countries of Europe.
Although some point out that of the 7.1m tonnes of food wasted in France each year, according to the Ministry of Ecology, 67% is wasted by consumers themselves, and another 15% by restaurants, while shops and distributors waste 11% of the total.
Imagine how much is being wasted in entire Europe?
You can either take out the unsold stuff yourself from the dumpster but they wont let you do that. They take it illegal but how can someone allow to get so much food wasted?
He needs 1 million signatures. You find the link here. I have done my part. It may not be fruitful in the end but at least the government will have to consider it. They can chose to take no action but at least there is an initiative from someone.
