Vote to ban supermarkets binning unsold food

The European Parliament has voted to ban supermarkets from throwing away food that is still safe for human consumption.

MEPs voted on a proposed revision of the Waste Framework Directive concerning textile and food waste today. In line with the revision, supermarkets and other commercial operators will need to ensure that unsold food that is still safe to eat will be made available for donation.

The vote that essentially aims to ban good food from going to waste saw MEPs coming to a consensus that member states will need to reduce food waste by 20pc in food manufacturing and by 40pc in households, retail and restaurants by 2030.

Grace O’Sullivan, Green Party MEP for Ireland South, said: “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.”

Emissions

The Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) most recent study on food waste from 2021 found that food waste costs the average Irish household €700 per year, which amounts to a total annual cost of €1.29bn. It also found that food waste generates between 8pc-10pc of the country’s greenhouse gas emissions.

“Seventy five thousand tonnes of food is wasted by the retail and distribution sectors in Ireland every year — mostly vegetables, fruit, bread and meat,” said Ms O’Sullivan.

“Only a minor portion of that is redistributed to charities. The problem of food being wasted before even reaching retailers is worse again, with over 215,000 tonnes of food waste in the manufacturing and processing industry. This is indefensible in this day and age.”

During the vote, 514 MEPs voted in favour, 20 against and 91 abstentions. The Waste Framework Directive will now progress to the trilogue stage — further negotiations between the European Commission, the European Parliament, and the Council of the European Union.

A final agreement is expected to be reached after European elections in June.