. It should come as no surprise that some people today are literally converting to the new regime. They ask, “Why should I pay for food that is freely available, unspoiled, and in good condition, found in the back of a dumpster in the big market? Do you think it is only the homeless and others who are stealing free food in this way? No, many people, united in one direction, have now switched to collecting food from dumpsters this way. In many cases, they are doing it in an environmentally friendly way, paying only for food that has expired and is not recommended to be eaten. Hundreds of tons of non-perishable food are ending up in landfills, which is not only an environmental problem but also a waste problem

. [In France, for example, a law has already been passed requiring all supermarkets to give discarded food to charities and food banks, where it will be redistributed to the needy. While some think this is a great plan, retailers fear that this will become more or less a tradition and that people will stop going to the stores and just wait for the employees to throw the stuff in the trash.

Violating such regulations is often punishable by fines. On the one hand, at least this food that is used in this way will rot in landfills and garbage dumps. Of course, some foods are not worth eating when they expire, such as dairy and meat, but most of the discarded food that would otherwise be eaten without repercussions would be thrown elsewhere.
On the other hand, this is a major interference with private property. For such a law would literally be telling people how to dispose of their property, even if they themselves would sooner or later throw it away.

Will anything change?

Some retailers and businesses may reconsider expiration dates and try to keep food on the shelves as long as possible, but that, in turn, is scorned by those who fear that such treatment of food will only gamble with consumers\’ health.