Countries around the world are plagued with the same problem – increased food waste.
The food waste amount is increasing at an alarming rate and to counter it, more countries are pitching in initiatives and policies to help reduce the food waste production within their countries.
Here are some examples of countries that are doing their part to help win the world war against food waste!
France passed a food waste law that was agreed on unanimously at the French Senate in 2016, showing strong support from the Government themselves to help solve the food waste situation in their countries.
France implemented a law for retailers and manufacturers to donate food surplus to charities and French supermarkets are also banned from destroying edible food, such as pouring bleach, that they have thrown in the bin just to prevent others from picking it up.
Following France’s footsteps, Italy became the second country in Europe to pass a law for supermarkets to donate food to charities.
The law also permits businesses to give away food that is past its sell-by date and food that are mislabelled, as long as it does not pose any safety risk. Farmers also allowed to donate their produce that they are unable to sell for reasons such as it being not appealing enough to be sold.
South Koreans saw special bins along their streets that will transform food waste into animal feed and biogas, which can then be burned to generate energy.
Residents can access the bin through an RFID card and the bin will track the amount of food waste dumped – and these households will receive a bill commensurate to their total discharge, reducing the total food waste being thrown away.
Singapore has also started taking steps to reduce food waste. In 2019, the Singapore Government announced that by 2024, large malls and hotels have to separate their food waste from other trash so the food waste can be treated and converted for other use – such as composting it.
By separating the food waste, it can be treated properly and be used for other purposes, and reduce the carbon emission as well as prevent the landfill from filling up even quicker.
Of course, the above are just some examples of many countries taking steps to reduce their food waste contribution.
With more countries realizing the extent of the growing food waste problem and taking actions to lessen their own country’s contribution, we can be more certain that more individuals will be more educated and will take actions to reduce their own food waste as well!