Denmark is leading the fight against food waste. It has reduced food waste by 25% since the government launched a national program in 2011 and has invested millions of Krone in food waste reduction initiatives. In 2015, a supermarket chain called WeFood was created to sell stores’ surplus goods at discounted prices. Mobile applications have become another effective tool in reducing food waste in Denmark. One of the most popular apps is Your Local which enables restaurant owners to get rid of food that is close to its expiration date and provide consumers an opportunity to buy food at a fraction of its original price. With more than 85,000 users, Your Local has also reached supermarkets where the amount of food waste is far greater than in restaurants.

In 2016, Italy and France passed laws that give expired food a longer life. With the new law, Italy hopes to increase donated food from 550,000 tons to 1 million tons to help 6 million disadvantaged people. The French law requires all supermarkets of more than 400 square meters to donate surplus food to charity organizations. In the UK, the number of cafes and shops that donate expired food has increased, especially in larger cities. Revenues from selling expired food are given to charities. Volunteers plan to dry expired fruits to keep them for a longer time. In Lisbon, Portugal, there are “Ugly fruit” markets that sell at a token price, fruits and vegetables that are not sellable in supermarkets even though they are perfectly good for eating. The food waste prevention campaign has spread to the US. The state of Maryland encourages schools to buy rejected foods from farms because it is fresh and inexpensive.