Before 2016, some French supermarkets poured bleach over bread and fruit they were no longer going to sell. Not to waste them carelessly, but to make sure no one took them out of the trash bins.
That same year, the French parliament unanimously passed a law promoted by activist Arash Derambarsh: no supermarket larger than 400 square meters could ever again destroy food that was still fit for consumption. The obligation became to donate it, with agreements signed with food banks and charities, and real fines for those who failed to comply.
The result was felt quickly. While thousands of people slept hungry on the streets of Paris, Lyon, and Marseille, France threw away millions of tons of food every year. All it took was a signature for that waste to become hot meals for those who needed them most.
