Note new laws banning plasticware and requiring
supermarkets to donate food.
By
France has embarked on two experiments we should take note of. First, the nation just banned all non-biodegradable disposable plastic cups, plates, and utensils. Second, they passed a law requiring supermarkets to donate unspoiled food they don’t want to charities instead of throwing it away.
I used to work in a supermarket, so I’ve seen what gets thrown
away. In fact, I’ve thrown good food away myself. Perfectly good loaves of
bread, bagels, muffins, brownies, and pastries — I put it all in the trash.
Why? Because I was required to, and I didn’t want to lose my
job.
A few times, I broke the store’s rules. I diverted food from the
trash and snuck it out to give it to homeless people.
I heard various explanations from the staff for why we couldn’t
donate the food. One coworker claimed the store didn’t want a huge line of
homeless people out the front door if word got out that free food was
available. But that doesn’t explain why we didn’t give the food to a shelter.
No doubt every department in our store threw out perfectly good food that had passed its expiration date. In the bakery, very few products actually went bad on their expiration dates, but we threw the day old bread and pastries out anyway.
There was a sizable homeless population in our area who would’ve
really appreciated that food.
France, at least, has decided to put an end to needless
supermarket food waste by requiring the stores to donate it to charity,
diverting it from the landfill.
As far as disposable kitchenware, with any number of reusable,
biodegradable options, there’s simply no reason to use a plastic cup one time
and throw it away.
France’s law actually offers an exception, allowing its citizens
to continue using biodegradable plastic products. I understand the temptation —
especially when hosting a large gathering — for one time use plasticware. And
the desirability of “to go” cups that allow consumers to buy a beverage and
leave, instead of staying put until they finish their drink, makes sense.
Although I appreciate that they’re allowing people the
convenience and utility of disposable cups, plates, and silverware, I wonder
about the details.
How does the biodegradable plastic biodegrade? Will it
biodegrade in a landfill? Must it be composted?
The beauty of these two laws, for now, is that they aren’t
happening here. We have a chance to watch how France implements them and works
out the bugs.
By learning from their example, hopefully, we can figure out the
best way to reduce food and plastic waste here.
OtherWords
columnist Jill Richardson is the author of Recipe for America: Why Our
Food System Is Broken and What We Can Do to Fix It. Distributed by OtherWords.org.
