Local authorities in Hamburg are calling for legalisation of so called ‘dumpster diving’ in order to reduce food waste in Germany.
Up to now, if someone picks up food that has been thrown away by supermarkets and production facilities, it is considered theft, according to the German newspaper Die Zeit.
Now Hamburg is calling on the government to re-examine this legislation.
Germany's Excess
In France, legislation in place since 2016 requires retailers of more than 400 square metres to give unsold food to nonprofit organisations. However, at the same time, Germany throws away one third of its groceries.
Till Steffen, the justice senator of Hamburg, has prepared an application for changes to the legislation in this regard, which is going to be put to the Conference of Ministers of Justice of the Federal States this week.
It is not acceptable that tonnes of still-edible food is thrown away, the senator said, while people who are active against food waste get punished.
© 2019 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Jana Zimmermann. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine.
