Taste the Waste

Many documentary filmmakers want to change something with their films; to make the world a better place. Some even succeed. This includes TASTE THE WASTE by Valentin Thurn, who attacked food waste. More than half of our food ends up in the garbage, most of it on the way from the field to the shops. Vegetables and fruits that do not meet the desired standard are sorted out. A global system is forcing supermarkets to consistently offer the full range of goods, and bread on the shelves has to be fresh until late in the evening. But people around the world are also looking for alternatives to this insane waste.

The film examines the reality in the waste containers of the wholesale and supermarkets and the rubbish bins of private households. They contain loads of perfect food, some in its original packaging. Over ten million tonnes of food are thrown away every year in Germany alone, in the EU it is 90 million tonnes. This has devastating effects on the global climate. Agriculture devours huge amounts of energy, water, fertiliser and pesticides while rainforest is cleared for pastureland.

TASTE THE WASTE not only makes ethical, economic and ecological relationships comprehensible, but also encourages us to reflect on our own consumption habits. The film was exceptionally successful in this. Valentin Thurn published books and started a campaign to cut this food waste in half over the next 15 years. Food sharing associations were founded in many cities and the idea of regional supply was strengthened. At the political level, the best-before date rules were reformed due to the film. The film triggered a great deal of change and the director has remained true to this topic in other productions such as his film “10 Billion – What’s on Your Plate?” (2015).