Two German ministers have put forward a proposal to allow people to take food from supermarket garbage cans that is still decent for consumption.
Agriculture Minister Cem Ozdemir and Justice Minister Marco Buschmann issued a statement in which they called on the justice ministers of all 16 German states to come up with a "practical solution" to the so-called "containering" problem.
"If people take home food that has been thrown away without causing damage or unlawful entry, then, in my opinion, that should no longer be prosecuted,'' Buschmann said.
The ministers believe that in a situation where 11 million tons of food is thrown away every year, of which seven percent comes from too many retail orders, people should be allowed to take away expired food for sustenance.
Ozdemir said refraining from prosecuting such cases "is one of many elements in the fight against food waste.''
The ministers propose to add a special clause to the existing legal acts concerning "containering", which would permit a solution without having to change the laws themselves. The proposed clause would specify that in cases of low-value of goods and the absence of complaints, there would be no need to initiate an investigation.
However, cases of "containering" involving damage and trespassing greater than "overcoming a physical obstacle without deploying significant effort" would still be punishable.