The article explores the two headed problem when confronted with food waste deterrence, showcasing both their effectiveness and associated costs. These policies, designed to reduce food waste, often require significant initial investments from businesses. This can include costs related to infrastructure changes, staff training, and the implementation of new technologies. The main point of the article is that the European Union (EU) have signed a deal committing to legally binding food waste reduction targets by 2030.

The policies are as follows:

Organic Waste Disposal Ban – prohibits those who opt in from sending organic waste to landfill

Mandatory Recycling Law – requires those who opt in to send organic waste to an anaerobic digestion or compost facility

Food Donation Requirement – requires those who opt in to donate some or all of their surplus food that remains safe to eat

Waste Disposal Charge – policies charging entities a landfill tax on organic matter per unit of rubbish as opposed to one flat fee

Food Waste Tax Penalties – these laws restrict business claiming a ‘Buisness loss’ for wasted food if it was possible to donate. If they cant prove that it I was unfit for donation they cant write it off

The article also talks about how these new changes were implemented in South Korea, a pay as you throw policy was enacted and households were charged $0.6 per kilogram of organic waste, this is relatively cheap however, large food waste generators are subject to much stricter penalties, improper disposal of industrial waste could result in seven years imprisonment and and a fine of up to $49.2M.