Namur to force supermarkets to donate surpluses
The City of Namur will prepare a regulation which will oblige the large surfaces to give the products which they intend to throw.
More and more people in precarious situations are not eating enough. The observation is shared in Namur too.
Of course, social services, such as the CPAS, do what they can. Charitable organizations, such as the Resto du Cœur, Saint-Vincent de Paul and the Food Bank provide precious help. But at the same time, our consumer society produces too much waste, especially from unsold items thrown away by stores.
Hence the idea launched last night at the municipal council by Fabian Martin (PS): impose on supermarkets to give charity food aid the products they throw away.
What do you mean? By waste regulations: the environmental permits granted to supermarkets would provide for this obligation. The municipal decree would target products which are still perfectly consumable but which the operator no longer wishes to market (too close to the date of durability, unsold products, damaged packaging, etc.).
Such a regulation already exists in Herstal, it could be introduced in Namur.
A legally solid text
The idea launched by the elected socialist received a favorable agreement in principle from the three majority parties. "I support the proposal," said Alderman for Social Cohesion Baudouin Sohier. Collaborations already exist with certain stores, this would make it possible to systematize them. ”
Also in favor of the principle, the alderman for the environment Alain Detry, however, requests a serious legal review of the text, to avoid any ambiguity, in particular regarding compliance with hygiene standards.
For Françoise Laboureur (Écolo), there should be a more global reflection than waste and poverty. But his group supports the idea.
"I sometimes see whole stocks, still valid for 15 days, and which we cannot touch, when the needs are there," says Fabian Martin.
In short, announces the bourgmestre, a group of representatives of each party will study a text which, legally solid, can be adopted soon in this direction.
Jean-Francois PACCO
http://m.lavenir.net/cnt/DMF20130125_00260198
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