The food in the garbage: containers - soon to be allowed?

Every day tons of food end up in the trash. Who takes them out of the waste containers of supermarkets, but is punishable. This containers will now be exempt from punishment, calls for Hamburg's Senator of justice Steffen.

Every day supermarkets throw away large quantities of unsold food because of expired shelf life or pressure points. But those who take this food from the waste containers, concedes to the law in force in Germany, a theft. It is according to the will of Hamburg's Senator of justice Till Steffen, should be legalized this so-called containers now.

no more than theft

Hamburg's Senator of justice Steffen values don't want containers is no longer seen as theft.

The Green politicians made a request for the Minister of justice conference prepare. It takes place next week in Lübeck-Travemünde. Steffen wants to achieve, that the Federal government changes the legal regulations to the property at food. The Collection of discarded food from waste containers to no more than theft count.

"let's throw out in Germany every year, millions of tons of food. That people be prosecuted, the containers against this waste active, I think, wrong," said Steffen tagesschau.de. "To change the stocks may either be the concept of Property in the Civil code or the criminal offence in the criminal code be amended."

The request of the Minister of justice would have no binding effect. The Federal government should deal with the projects. The containers operate in both the homeless as well as activists in order to protest against the waste of still edible food. According to calculations by the University of Stuttgart, almost 13 million tons of food land in Germany for a year in the trash.

food waste

the left party had already expressed in favour of making the Collection of discarded food with impunity. In April, the Bundestag group of the Left called on the Federal government in a request to present a bill. Also, Federal food Minister Julia Klöckner wants to reduce waste, the food on voluntary agreements and more Information for consumers.

at the same time wants to propose to Hamburg's Senator of justice to his colleagues next week, a disposable ban for supermarkets. "Even more sustainable a solution, the bans, even edible food at all to throw away would be, of course," said Steffen. Example could be France. There food store markets with more than 400 square meters of space, unsold food to charities to give. A similar rule applies in the Czech Republic.

to waste More on this topic:

Cabinet: plans for less food, 20.02.2019 UN: grain harvest to consumption are not covered, 07.04.2019 news Atlas |Germany |Hamburg

From the archive