Give customers doggy bags for uneaten food or face fine, Spain warns restaurants

Fines of up to £51,200 could be levelled at rule breakers

A food market in Guissona, Spain (AFP/Getty)

Spanish restaurants and bars will have to offer doggy bags to customers in an effort to cut down on food waste or face huge fines, under proposals for a new law on Tuesday.

Under the scheme introduced by the Council of Ministers, cafes and supermarkets will have to partner up with food banks and agree on the collection, storage and transport of uneaten meals. Those who do not comply could face a fine of up to €60,000 (£51,200).

Around 1.3 million kilos (1,400 tonnes) of food is thrown away in Spain each year, amounting to 31kg per person, the government said.