France, Sept. 9 -- Binding targets for curbing food waste and fresh obligations for the textile industry are at the heart of a new EU drive to cut disgarded goods and protect the planet.

EU lawmakers have given the final go-ahead to a sweeping new law designed to cut back Europe's towering piles of wasted food and rein in the environmental footprint of fast fashion.

Brussels estimates that each person in the 27-nation bloc generates around 130 kilogrammes of food waste annually - that's a staggering 60 million tonnes - along with some 15 kilos of discarded textiles.

By slashing food waste, the EU hopes to also reduce the water, fertiliser and energy used to produce, process and store food that too often ends up in the bin.

A similar r...