#30 Food waste
Starting Point. Discuss the questions below.
How often do you or your family throw away food?
How do you decide if something needs to be thrown away?
How do you feel about it?
Look at the photo on the left. What do you think the men are doing?
Focus on Quiz. Match the words with the correct meaning.
Focus on Listening. Watch the video below.Â
Focus on Comprehension. Answer the questions below about the video.
Focus on Speaking.Â
As far as I’m concerned….
The way I see it …
In my opinion ….
What I think is ….
From my point of view …
In my view …
I strongly believe that …..
What can we do about food waste? How can we curb food waste?
What is the best way to prevent food waste in the home?
Should supermarkets be able to sell food past their sell-by date?
How about donating food after their sell-by date?
Should people be allowed to dumpster dive and collect food that supermarkets have thrown out?
Did you know?
France
In 2016, France passed a law that bans supermarkets from throwing away edible food by obliging them to pair up with a food waste NGO that can redistribute food that would have otherwise be thrown away. Stores that don’t comply with the law can be fined €3,750 for each infraction. The law also clarifies whether a food product is actually inedibly passed their sell-by date or not.
However, only food stores that are bigger than 400 m2 are concerned. Additionally, the law does not establish the quantity that has to be donated, so a supermarket can donate 1% of its food and still comply with the law.
Italy
Italy passed a law against food waste in 2016, aimed at cutting one million tonnes of the estimated five million wasted every year. The law is meant to make it easier for food retailers to donate food to charities and food banks. Businesses won’t face sanctions if they give away food past its sell-by date and will get tax cuts proportionate to the amount of food they give away.
Farmers are also able to donate food they don’t sell.
UK
In 2018, the UK government announced a voluntary scheme to reduce food waste from retailers and food manufacturers. Companies are allowed to donate food to specific food charities.
Spain
In 2017, the Spanish government started looking at ways to reduce food waste and increase donations to food charities from food retailers. However, a law has not been passed so far.
According to government figures, 7.7 million tonnes of food is wasted every year.
European Union
Taking food from dumpsters is a theft in many European Union countries because the contents of the waste container are regarded as private property.
