The Spanish government has passed a bill aimed at reducing food waste by imposing fines on restaurants and supermarkets that stock leftover food, similar to current legislation in France and Italy.
“In a world where hunger and malnutrition unfortunately still exist, these are issues that affect everyone’s conscience,” said Food Minister Luis Planas.
The bill, due to be debated in parliament, aims to reduce the 1.3 million tons of food and drink dumped into Spain every year, equivalent to a loss of 250 euros ($266) per person, according to government figures.
Under the new legislation, both supermarkets and restaurants will have to find ways to distribute leftovers to NGOs and food banks.
In cases where, for example, the fruit is too ripe for sale, it must be used to make jam or juice, and in cases where it is no longer suitable for human consumption, it should be used as animal feed or composted.