Malin Ivarsson opens her refrigerator and points. Food after food is what she has found in containers outside large grocery stores in Linköping.
– I am completely broken when I think about how much is thrown away. Things that have been grown and animals that have died. And then we just throw it away. Because there are rigid rules and expiration dates. Although it is food that can be eaten, she says.
Malmö and France are the role models
A new group has been formed in Linköping, a group that is growing. They have spoken to owners of cafes, restaurants and grocery stores to learn more about food waste and what can be done to reduce it.
Best-before dates, which mean that stores have to throw away food after a certain date, are a problem, Malin Ivarsson believes. She was inspired to pursue the issue after another climate activist raised the issue in Malmö and, among other things, made a citizens’ proposal. The role model is France, where it has become illegal for grocery stores to throw away food.
“Can the municipality pass on leftover food?”
– The dream would be that it would become illegal here in Sweden as well. Another hope is that the municipality will establish a service that can help traders and restaurants take care of leftover food and ensure that it reaches people who need it, who may not be able to afford to buy food, says Malin Ivarsson, who has also been in contact with the City Mission.
She says that there are many non-profit forces working to reduce food waste, but that it is not enough.
– A lot of food is thrown away. Extremely much. I have seen that with my own eyes.