groceries
Özdemir: “Containers” should go unpunished
Agriculture Minister Cem Özdemir wants to work on practical solutions against food waste. photo
© Christophe Gateau/dpa
In Germany, around eleven million tons of food end up in the garbage every year, complains Minister of Agriculture Ödzemir. Saving food from the trash should not be prosecuted.
Federal Minister of Agriculture Cem Özdemir wants to make the so-called container of food exempt from punishment. “Anyone who wants to save food that is still edible from waste containers should not be prosecuted. I think we all want our police and courts to take care of criminals instead,” said the Green politician to “Welt” (Monday) .
In Germany, far too much food ended up in the garbage, he lamented. This is a total of around eleven million tons a year – and more than half in private households. “Therefore there is no single solution to solve the problem of food waste in one fell swoop. We therefore have to look pragmatically at where we can start,” he continued.
“Containers” means getting food that is still edible, for example, from supermarket rubbish bins. It may be a criminal offense under current law.