Apparently in France it is. Is there any other country that has this type of law implemented? Mandatory donations or something of the sort?
In the EU it is mandatory to sort your food into separate food trash.
Article 22
Bio-waste
Member States shall take measures, as appropriate, and in accordance with Articles 4 and 13, to encourage:
(a)
the separate collection of bio-waste with a view to the composting and digestion of bio-waste;
(b)
the treatment of bio-waste in a way that fulfils a high level of environmental protection;
©
the use of environmentally safe materials produced from bio-waste.
The Commission shall carry out an assessment on the management of bio-waste with a view to submitting a proposal if appropriate. The assessment shall examine the opportunity of setting minimum requirements for bio-waste management and quality criteria for compost and digestate from bio-waste, in order to guarantee a high level of protection for human health and the environment.
https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A32008L0098
That’ an EU directive.
To take effect, national measures must achieve the objectives set by the directive. National authorities must communicate the measures they adopt to the European Commission.
Now find the 27 national laws that make it mandatory for people to sort food waste separately.
The directive by the way says that member states have to encourage not force food separation.
That would be great, here they use trash compactors to destroy the food to prevent hungry people from going through the trash and filling their bellies.
EDIT: Whole Foods in particular does this, and I think I’ve seen Walmart doing it as well. Also, I worked at a grocery store where I was instructed to destroy the food when I threw it into the dumpsters to prevent people from being able to eat it, though they were too cheap to actually buy and operate a trash compactor.
I hadn’t heard of that. I do know the US passed a law allowing restaurants to donate unused food at the end of the day without fear of lawsuits.
Also there’s a new app where restaurants can sell food at the end of the day at a discount rather than throwing it away called “too good to go”.
I’m lucky to live in a southern city where we have citywide composting as well. I wish more places would do that. It’s a waste to simply landfill food scraps when you could funnel it all to the farming industry as fertilizer.
Years ago, I worked sales at an Apple Store (like 2005) and we were instructed to destroy marketing materials when they were retired. I would mark them up with a large black marker. I didn’t consider that problematic, but I don’t like the idea of food being destroyed.
Well for me it’s simple, I’ve worked places where we had to destroy food and I just didn’t. I’m lucky enough that it’s always been pretty easy to find another food service job, and I’ve told any managers that I think food waste is the only true sin, and I’m willing to lose my job over it. I know not everyone can afford to walk away from a job, but all of my managers(in two countries) have thus far found a way to look the other way. Your middle manager almost certainly doesn’t want food to be wasted either, so if you tell them it’s a moral issue, that gives them plausible deniability for not destroying it.
There is a movement to make it illegal, but the goal isn’t to feed the needy. It’s to help keep it out of landfills, incinerators, and waterways.
For example: https://www.bergmanndirect.co.uk/articles/new-food-waste-regulations-in-england
In America it’s encouraged. Why? cause “fUcK pOOr pEePlE” that’s why