I know some of you are going to call me crazy for this one but I hate waste of any sort. I have just read an article from the Penny Hoarder and was shocked by the USA numbers given for food waste. 40% yes you read it right FORTY percent of the food that is grown, imported, caught, and/or produced in the USA is thrown away. AHHHHHHHHH!!!!!! We have starving people and obesity at large how can this be happening????????
The article first caught my attention as it says
ways to reduce your grocery bill without coupon clipping. I am not a fan of
coupons as they kill trees but use them because it is what I have right now
along with price matching the flyers to conserve our limited grocery budget. So
I read the article. The first paragraphs were relatively uninteresting until I
got to the number two “Rescue Otherwise Wasted Food” this not only infuriated
me but made complete sense. The infuriation came with the report of the amount
of wasted food, which made me think of all the money wasted and now how
frivolous I feel as a westerner. By the way I disagree with what is happening
and would love to change the world. But this young couple from the US has begun
dumpster diving behind grocery stores to lower the food bill. Don’t go ewwey
just yet. They wear gloves, they was all packages before they open them and
they have never gotten ill according to the article!!! I am not surprised we
throw food away when it is at its best before date. My experience is that a lot
of product can last beyond that date. Sour cream is one of those products.
Check it out next time yours is at its date. It will not be bad I promise unless
it was left unrefrigerated.
So anyways they have a grocery bill of about $50.00
per month, mind you they are a vegan couple so they are not eating expensive
meat and that helps but they also donate to food banks and other sustainable places
that can use the food. So is this stealing? No once something is in the garbage
that is what it is and is now open property for anyone to take. The police
often use this in finding evidence so why can we not use it for finding food. I
know it sounds so gross but if the package is sealed and it has not been in the
searing heat for days chances are that the food is good. Most grocery stores
close around nine pm so when the food is disposed of it is later than that and
dark and cool outside.
Another article I read, Food Waste in Canada Costs $31 Bill on per Year,was how much food was wasted
in Canada. It was to the tune of $31 billion dollars each year!!!! Yes that is
right, $31 billion. That is more than the gross economy of some countries on this
planet. Shocking I have inserted the link take a look at the article.
There is a hope on the horizon this article France Makes it Illegal for Grocery Stores to Throw away Ratable Food, states
that France has made it illegal for grocery stores to waste perfectly eatable
food. So the next time you are at the grocery store and picking out that
perfect package of bacon (I am so guilty of that) or choosing the apples that
do not have bruises remember most of what you see will go in the trash and ask
yourself what can you do to stop the waste???
I have always said charity begins at home.
Photos courtesy of Google Images.
Photos courtesy of Google Images.
