Spain is aiming to crack down on food waste, with draft legislation setting out stiff fines for supermarkets that bin leftovers and requirements for bars and restaurants to offer doggy bags so that customers can take home leftovers.
The goal of the draft bill, adopted on Tuesday by Spain’s Socialist-led government, is to reduce the figure of 1,300 tonnes of food wasted annually across the country, said Luis Planas, Spain’s agricultural, fisheries and food minister. That figure equates to 31kg a person.
The legislation will now head to parliament for approval, and the government hopes to have the new law in place by early 2023. It follows similar efforts in France and Italy.
Planas described the legislation as a “pioneering judicial instrument” that would allow the government to tackle inefficiencies in the food chain and curb the resulting economic, ethical and environmental costs. “In a world where unfortunately hunger and malnutrition still exist, these are things which weigh on everyone’s conscience,” he said.
The bill also includes measures to force supermarkets and restaurants to work with neighbourhood organisations and food banks to limit waste. Medium- and large-scale businesses involved in the food chain will have to submit plans to prevent waste, with the priority placed on donating food prior to its best-before date.
In the case of overripe fruit, the bill suggests transforming it into products such as jams or juice. Failing that, it can be used for animal feed or the production of fertilisers and biofuel.
Restaurants will have to also provide containers for customers to take home food they have not eaten, in an attempt to impose a custom not commonly seen in Spain.
Despite the government’s acknowledgment that much of the food waste happens at home, the legislation will rely on educational campaigns rather than fines to change domestic behaviour.
Firms that fall foul of the legislation could face fines of up to €60,000, or up to €500,000 for repeat offenders.
A recent UN report said nearly 1bn tonnes of food is wasted globally each year while billions of people go hungry or cannot afford a healthy diet. Food waste is linked to about 10% of the emissions driving the climate emergency.
