Spain’s Catalonia set to approve new law designed to reduce food waste

The parliament of Catalonia is expected to approve a new law designed to reduce food waste from production to the consumer, this Wednesday. If approved, it will be the first law in the whole of Europe designed to put a stop to thousands of tonnes of food waste.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations, a third of all food produced globally ends up as waste.

The EU calculates that each member state wastes approximately 80 million tonnes of food annually. Catalonia has calculated that its community wastes around 260,000 tonnes of food every year – that’s about 35 tonnes per Catalan, per year!

The proposed legislation includes provisions that will enforce bars and restaurants to provide reusable/recycled containers so clients can take away leftovers, without incurring additional costs. It will also force supermarkets to get creative and sell food within the ‘sell-by-date’ to reduce waste.

Under the new proposals, schools, hospitals and residential homes will be expected to come up with a plan to cut food waste too. If legislation is passed, those failing to comply with the new rules could face fines of up to 150,000 euros, reports Spain’s national newspaper, El Pais.

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Pepi Sappal

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