Food waste - amazing photos

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Food waste - amazing photos
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Azura Skye

Joined: 14 Jun 2005
Posts: 2199
Location: Carmarthenshire

Posted: Tue Jul 21, 09 1:28 pm Post subject: Food waste - amazing photos
and article on Freeganism on the Guardian webbie. Pics Article

Barefoot Andrew
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 21 Mar 2007
Posts: 22780
Location: In the 17th century

Posted: Tue Jul 21, 09 1:53 pm Post subject:
Blimey A.

wipka84

Joined: 07 Feb 2009
Posts: 221
Location: Essex, UK

Posted: Tue Jul 21, 09 1:55 pm Post subject:

I used to work on the backdoor of Tesco's (for my sins at uni). i reckon I had to throw between 6-10 large cages of food in a single shift (7.5 hours of a 24 hour day working supermarket.). Whether it was surplus dough from the bakery, fresh rolls, dented cans, fresh produce, unbought cooked chickens, fish, cheese etc..

If its out of date or too past its best to be reduced then its chucked into a compactor.

The most shocking bit is the food and fish thats wasted without the chance of selling at all!

Azura Skye

Joined: 14 Jun 2005
Posts: 2199
Location: Carmarthenshire

Posted: Tue Jul 21, 09 2:31 pm Post subject:
yeah I think those were the worst ones, the poor fish who died for nothing. All those oranges and bananas that never had a chance to become a smoothie.

Treacodactyl
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Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 25795
Location: Jumping on the bandwagon of opportunism

Posted: Tue Jul 21, 09 2:56 pm Post subject:
Sadly not surprising although you'd have though after recent rises in food prices in the last few years and the current recession less food would be wasted. Anyone know if there are any numbers that shows how much food is wasted compared to consumed, and how that's changed over the years? I thought the cows grazing next to the poultry remains was worrying, but again, not surprising.

oldish chris

Joined: 14 Jun 2006
Posts: 4148
Location: Comfortably Wet Southport

Posted: Tue Jul 21, 09 3:16 pm Post subject:
Young Tristram is getting a lot of publicity, he was on the radio on Monday morning ("Start the Week"). The fact that struck me was being reminded that some foodstuffs, such as wheat, are traded globally, so that chucking away four slices from every loaf is actually impacting on the international price. So indirectly, that wasted bread is being taken from the mouths of third world children.

vegplot

Joined: 19 Apr 2007
Posts: 21301
Location: Bethesda, Gwynedd

Posted: Tue Jul 21, 09 3:33 pm Post subject:
It's difficult to imagine a pile of food weighing in at 6 million tonnes, the amount we waste in the UK every year. The further from the source the waste occurs the greater its impact.

AnnaD

Joined: 12 Jun 2007
Posts: 2777
Location: Edinburgh

Posted: Tue Jul 21, 09 4:29 pm Post subject:
That's awful

Rob R

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 31902
Location: York

Posted: Tue Jul 21, 09 4:47 pm Post subject:

vegplot wrote:

The further from the source the waste occurs the greater its impact.

What do you mean by impact? The field of spinach is likely to have a huge impact upon the producer, whereas if it were sold & wasted, it would at least mean the producer could go on producing...

However, we are very concious of food waste here and yet still a fair bit gets 'wasted' (depends if compost/animals (where legal) counts as waste). Institutionalised waste & economic waste have increased so much in recent decades where we are 'saved' from the risk by the state or prevented from eating the food because it makes someone money.

(Thinking about fish in particular- stupid quota system

)

It is a stark reminder of why our food systems need to fundamentally change by moving away from large companies controlling our food production & distribution. Food should be produced by the people, for the people...

arvo

Joined: 04 Dec 2006
Posts: 3321
Location: Somerset

Posted: Tue Jul 21, 09 4:59 pm Post subject:
OMG Skye that's terrifying. The fish was the worst you're right, but the seas of perfectly good oranges, bananas and tomatoes. Truly, truly scary and makes RIF's point from the thread about industrial farming. Minamoo have you sent the Guardian your link?

vegplot

Joined: 19 Apr 2007
Posts: 21301
Location: Bethesda, Gwynedd

Posted: Tue Jul 21, 09 5:05 pm Post subject:

Rob R wrote:

vegplot wrote:

The further from the source the waste occurs the greater its impact.

(Thinking about fish in particular- stupid quota system

If someone throws a way a bag of spinach then it's not just the spinach that wasted, it's the packaging, handling, and transport. However, it doesn't compare to the waste and impact a supermarket decision has on the producer and their ability to produce.

Nick

Joined: 02 Nov 2004
Posts: 34535
Location: Hereford

Posted: Tue Jul 21, 09 5:09 pm Post subject:

I half caught the Start the Week thing, I think. They were explaining that we destroy rain forest to produce food (Either crop or grazing). And the amount we waste would mean we could stop chopping down rain forest.

So, yes, the loss is those fish, or the ham, or the wheat, but also the lungs of the planet.

I can't help but think that it's one of the bigger problems we'll have to address as we run slowly out of oil and are forced to conserve energy.

Rob R

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 31902
Location: York

Posted: Tue Jul 21, 09 5:13 pm Post subject:
Oh yeah, as I forgot to add to my first post, a message for everyone; NEVER buy washed potatoes- it's a sure way of ensuring you are wasting at least 100% of what you actually take home.

Treacodactyl
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 25795
Location: Jumping on the bandwagon of opportunism

Posted: Tue Jul 21, 09 5:18 pm Post subject:
What about a pre-packed sandwich? We tend to make our own and it's been a few years since I bought one but if I'm paying £4 I wouldn't want a crust. Can't they bake very long loaves or at least feed the crusts to animals? (I know that sounds trivial but I can't see the demand for pre-packed sandwiches ending soon).

Blue Sky

Joined: 30 Jan 2005
Posts: 7658
Location: France

Posted: Tue Jul 21, 09 5:44 pm Post subject:

Treacodactyl wrote:

I thought the cows grazing next to the poultry remains was worrying, but again, not surprising.

Me too. And you guys in the DEFRA cloak aren't even allowed to feed your pigs on the 'homegrown - organic' produce from your own garden if it has gone via the kitchen.

If I were in the UK and had livestock I would have to think twice about 'law abiding'.

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