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Next week, the Italian parliament can pass a law that would encourage grocery stores, supermarkets, cafes, bars and restaurants do not throw away past due but not yet spoiled food, but give it away to people in need and charitable organizations. Yesterday, the bill received unanimous support in the appropriate committee of Parliament. Now, according to Italian media, the document has all the chances to be successfully enforced. Once the law is adopted, Italy will be the second country in Europe after France, which will take measures to combat the waste of food, costing the economy billions of euros.
In February, the France enacted a law under which the stores are fined up to € 75 thousand if they throw away usable products, whose sell-by date has expired recently.
Unlike the French, Italians want to use not a punishment, but promotion. The retailers will be educated about environmental friendliness and told that the recycling costs are € 12 billion per year. By completing just one declaration per month, they can get rid of these products, and simultaneously help the needy. In addition, as parliamentarians noted, the Parliament is considering possibility of granting particularly active outlets with temporary reduction in some taxes. "We want to make it easier for businesses to give food to a charity rather than throwing it away, - Italian Agriculture Minister Maurizio Martina said in an interview with media. - Now we manage to save 550 million tons of products per year, but we plan to reach the mark of 1 billion tons by the end of this year."
source: independent.co.uk
In February, the France enacted a law under which the stores are fined up to € 75 thousand if they throw away usable products, whose sell-by date has expired recently.
Unlike the French, Italians want to use not a punishment, but promotion. The retailers will be educated about environmental friendliness and told that the recycling costs are € 12 billion per year. By completing just one declaration per month, they can get rid of these products, and simultaneously help the needy. In addition, as parliamentarians noted, the Parliament is considering possibility of granting particularly active outlets with temporary reduction in some taxes. "We want to make it easier for businesses to give food to a charity rather than throwing it away, - Italian Agriculture Minister Maurizio Martina said in an interview with media. - Now we manage to save 550 million tons of products per year, but we plan to reach the mark of 1 billion tons by the end of this year."
source: independent.co.uk