Scotland has pledged to cut food waste by a third by 2025, saving businesses and households somewhere between £500m and £800m.
The commitment, announced as part of the government’s new circular economy strategy, is the first of its kind in Europe.
Businesses in Scotland that produce more than 5kg of food waste per week already have to separate it out for collection as part of the Waste (Scotland) Regulations 2012.
However, the government will review certain exemptions in a bid to increase recycling of food waste further. On-farm losses of edible produce will also be a priority.
In December, the European Commission ditched plans for a similar target as part of its own EU-wide circular economy strategy.
