Japan introduces legislation to reduce food waste

On May 24 2019 new legislation was signed in Japan with the aim of reducing the 6 million tons of edible food thrown away in the country every year. The bill had cross-party support and will see central government creating a national directive to reduce food waste, while local areas will be required to put in place their own strategies to tackle the issue. The aim is to get national and local government to work with businesses and consumers to create real change leading to a substantial reduction in food waste. Businesses including Seven-Eleven Japan co and Lawson are already supporting the initiative and have put in place plans to avoid food waste being wasted. In addition to the environmental benefit, reducing their food waste should be financially possitive for business, as waste costs are cut. Lawson President Sadanobu Takemasu put it simply when he said 'In the end, it’s better to sell out all the products.'

The change is yet another example of a government trying to encourage companies and individuals to all play their part in tackling the serious issue of food waste. The U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization estimates that 1.3 billion tons of food is wasted globally every year, meaning the environmental necessity for improvements is critical.