An estimated 7.1 million tons of fresh food are thrown out in France every year.
This kind of irresponsible food waste is now illegal, according to a new law passed unanimously. The law came into effect Saturday.
The French parliament voted to force supermarkets to give away food that reaches its sell-by date. Shops are also not allowed to throw out or destroy food — some have soaked it in bleach in the past — to get around donating it.
Local food banks and charities will collect and distribute food to those in need, The Guardian reports.
Lawmakers tried to pass the proposal as part of another law in May, but it was struck down in France's constitutional court. It was reintroduced in December, following the momentum of the COP21 climate change summit.
"It’s extremely rare for a law to be passed so quickly and with unanimous support," Arash Derambarsh, a French politican who campaigned for the law, told the Guardian. The next step is to introduce similar legislation across the European Union and worldwide, he added.
Food waste is a global epidemic. The United States throws out approximately 40% of its food, and organic waste makes up the majority of its landfills. The EU wastes about 89 million tons of food per year.
About 1.3 billion tons are wasted worldwide.
The good news is that if the legislation is put in place, that's a lot of food to be saved. And France looks to be the start.
