New EU legislation to ban businesses, including supermarkets, from throwing away food that is still safe to eat has moved a step closer, after the European Parliament voted to progress the proposal.
Under the ‘Revision of the Waste Framework’, member states would be required to reduce food waste by 20% in food manufacturing, and by 40% in households, retail and restaurants by 2030.
Member states would also have to ensure that economic operators make unsold food that is safe for human consumption available for donation.
This would effectively mean a ban on good food going to waste.
The proposed law would also make companies cover costs for the collection, sorting and recycling of textile products, clothing and footwear.
In Ireland it is estimated that 75,000 tonnes of food is wasted in the retail and distribution sectors every year.
While a recent EPA study on food waste found that it costs the average Irish household €700 euro per year, with food waste generating between 8% and 10% of Ireland’s greenhouse gas emissions.
Speaking following the vote, Irish Green Party MEP Grace O’Sullivan said that “food waste is nothing short of a scandal, and I welcome the vote in the European Parliament to tackle this issue.
“The vote represents an important step forward for this legislation. Food waste is bad for the environment, it is bad for the economy, and it is socially unacceptable when there are people struggling to put good food on the table.”
The proposed legislation will now progress to what’s known as trilogue negotiations, where the European Commission, the European Parliament, and the Council of the EU will discuss a final agreement.
However, no deal is expected to be reached under the next European Parliament mandate, following elections in June.
