Spanish businesses can face huge fines due to new food waste law

The legislation aims to encourage mindful consumption of food resources in society

The Spanish government has approved a draft bill that will seek to cut down on unnecessary food waste at all stages of the food supply chain – from production to sales. The measure will affect the catering establishments, such as restaurants and cafes, as well as grocery stores and supermarkets. If the law is passed in the Parliament, these types of businesses could face hefty fines of up to 60,000 euros, or up to half a million euros for repeat offenders.

The estimates are that every year in Spain, 1300 tonnes of food go to waste, which is the equivalent of 31 kilograms per person. This, however, is an issue which affects the whole world, regardless of the income level of a country.

The law aims to bring about a new awareness of this issue

Food waste harms society as a whole by making access to essential goods more expensive, wastes scarce natural resources, increasing waste and environmental impact, and hampers the efficiency of the productive sector and its competitiveness. This law tries to guide towards a more efficient production system, which focuses on the development of the circular economy.

Luis Planas, Spain’s Agricultural, Fisheries and Food Minister said at a press conference that the “pioneering” new bill will raise citizens’ awareness of the “economic, social, environmental and ethical consequences” of food waste. He outlined that the law will oblige businesses to develop food waste prevention plans.

The priority should be human consumption through donations to entities such as food banks. The companies will be obliged to sign agreements with the receiving organizations that specify the conditions of collection, storage and transport. The ministry emphasizes the importance of traceability of donated food: it must be possible to know where each product comes from.

If it is not possible to deliver the food for human consumption, said food must be transformed into other products such as juices or jams. The third option is that it is used for animal feed. The last uses that the plan must detail are the production of industrial by-products and recycling to obtain compost or fuel. These requirements are aimed at establishments that serve food, from bars to large commercial areas.

The regulation includes other measures to avoid waste as well: companies will have to report annually how much they waste; restaurants must notify consumers that they can take their leftovers and make it easy for them to do so for free; and companies will have to encourage the sale of products with upcoming expiration dates.

France and Italy already have adopted similar legislation on that issue. If successful, the new Spanish law could be in place by early 2023.