The Luxembourg initiative allowing people to pick fruit freely from trees marked with a yellow ribbon has now crossed the border into France.
The scheme was officially launched in Villerupt, where a yellow ribbon tied around a fruit tree signals that members of the public are welcome to help themselves.
Luxembourg's Ministry of Agriculture introduced the initiative five years ago as part of efforts to reduce food waste.
Fruit that might otherwise fall to the ground and rot can instead be picked and eaten, while the project also raises awareness of local and seasonal produce and biodiversity. In some cases, it has also helped bring people in local communities together.
In Villerupt, 69 trees now carry a yellow ribbon. The neighbouring municipalities of Audun-le-Tiche and Ottange are also taking part.
The initiative is already well established in Luxembourg, where 75 municipalities participate and around 4,500 trees have been marked with yellow ribbons.
Agriculture Minister Martine Hansen said the ribbons were not merely decorative, with plenty of fruit actually being picked. She said she was particularly proud to see such a simple project aimed at tackling food waste now taking root beyond Luxembourg's borders.
Information on participating municipalities, the location of the roughly 4,500 trees, and the types of fruit available can be found on antigaspi.lu.
