Make October 20 Food Waste Awareness Day

Summary#

This bill would set October 20 each year as National Food Waste Awareness Day across Canada. It is a symbolic designation. The text does not create programs, funding, mandates, or penalties. The stated goal is to raise awareness of food waste and support a more secure food system (Preamble; Designation).

• Names October 20 as National Food Waste Awareness Day (Designation).
• Applies across Canada every year (Designation).
• Adds no new rights, duties, fines, or enforcement (Short Title; Designation).
• Adds no programs or funding in the bill text (Short Title; Designation).
• Cites rising food waste and links to food insecurity as the problem (Preamble).

What it means for you#

• Households:

  • No direct legal changes. Your daily life and obligations do not change (Designation).
  • The day is for awareness only. The bill does not require activities or events (Designation).

• Workers:

  • No new workplace rules or protections are created (Designation).
  • No paid holiday status is created by this bill (Designation).

• Businesses:

  • No mandates on food labeling, packaging, donation, or disposal are added (Designation).
  • No reporting, compliance, or certification requirements are added (Designation).

• Local and Indigenous governments:

  • No required observances, reporting, or plans are set by the bill (Designation).
  • No new funding or transfers are provided (Short Title; Designation).

• Service users:

  • No changes to benefits or public services are included (Designation).

• Timing:

  • If enacted, the designation would apply each year on October 20 (Designation).

Expenses#

Estimated net cost: Data unavailable.

• No explicit appropriations or spending are in the bill text (Short Title; Designation).
• No taxes, fees, or fines are created or changed (Designation).
• No new programs, staff, or reporting systems are authorized (Designation).
• No fiscal note located. Data unavailable.

Proponents' View#

• Raising awareness is needed because food waste is rising and contributes to food insecurity for “hundreds of thousands of Canadians” (Preamble).
• Food is lost or wasted at all stages, from farms to consumers; a national day can focus attention on the problem (Preamble).
• A symbolic day is a low-burden step because it adds no mandates or penalties (Designation).
• National recognition can make messaging consistent across Canada without changing other laws (Designation).

Opponents' View#

• The bill is symbolic only. It adds no targets, programs, or funding to change behavior, so impact may be limited (Designation).
• There is no requirement to coordinate activities or measure results, so outcomes would be hard to track (Designation).
• Any observances would have to use existing resources, since the bill provides none (Designation).
• Without linked policies on donation, labeling, or waste reduction, awareness alone may not address the causes listed in the preamble (Preamble; Designation).