A pilot food waste management programme will be launched by Paphos Municipality after the Christmas holidays, a spokesman said on Tuesday.

“The increase of food waste from food businesses could help families in real need, by offering fresh food to the needy every day, while at the same time this method supports environmental sustainability,” Paphos Municipality social welfare officer Mariella Theophanous said.

The programme will be supplied with excess food from restaurants, cafés, supermarkets and bakeries, she added. Restaurants have already been identified to be included in the programme.

The proposed programme was unanimously approved at a recent plenary session of the Paphos municipal council.

“Many people are facing difficulties especially in their daily survival and while there is a lot of food waste, one of the main goals of this program is to support these people through the social welfare programme,” Theophanous said.