--- title: French Parliament Votes Unanimously on Law to Cut Food Waste description: The law would require large supermarkets to stop pouring bleach over and to donate unsold food items canonical: https://time.com/4146012/france-food-waste-law/ author: Daniel White article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-12-11T18:14:00.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-02-22T13:18:40.770Z article:section: World og:title: French Parliament Unanimously Approves Law to Cut Food Waste og:description: The law would require large supermarkets to donate unsold food items og:url: https://time.com/4146012/france-food-waste-law/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltfdee1cc98d0054c6/69887506cd1bba73896fe7d8/gettyimages-126925573-1.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: 126925573 og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: French Parliament Unanimously Approves Law to Cut Food Waste twitter:description: The law would require large supermarkets to donate unsold food items twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltfdee1cc98d0054c6/69887506cd1bba73896fe7d8/gettyimages-126925573-1.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # French Parliament Unanimously Approves Law to Cut Food Waste by [Daniel White](/author/daniel-white/) ## Daniel White Dec 11, 2015 6:14 PM CUT  French officials have passed a bill that , if made a law, would go into effect January 13 and would require supermarkets larger than about 4000 square feet to give edible food away for human or animal consumption. The law would also put an end to the practice of pouring bleach over unsold food before throwing it out. French officials have passed a bill that , if made a law, would go into effect January 13 and would require supermarkets larger than about 4000 square feet to give edible food away for human or animal consumption. The law would also put an end to the practice of pouring bleach over unsold food before throwing it out.Jacques LOIC—Getty Images/Photononstop RM by [Daniel White](/author/daniel-white/) ## Daniel White Dec 11, 2015 6:14 PM CUT Officials in the French Parliament [voted unanimously](http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/dec/10/france-vote-force-supermarkets-give-away-unsold-food-waste "undefined") to put an end to food waste by forcing large grocery stores to donate unsold food. The rule, part of another law passed in May, was initially scrapped because of a technicality, according to the _Guardian_. The bill was reintroduced Wednesday in the Assemble National—France’s version of the House of Representatives—and passed quickly as a “crucial measure for the planet.” The law will now go before the French Sénat, where it is expected to easily pass. It comes at a time when the environment is at the front of French minds as world leaders [hammer out an agreement ](http://time.com/4145185/paris-climate-hurdles/?xid=homepage "undefined")at a the COP21 climate change summit. If passed, the law would go into effect January 13th and would require supermarkets larger than about 4000 square feet to give edible food away for human or animal consumption. 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