Why are we wasting so much food and what can be done about it?

[Ladymuck]

Reports over the last couple of years have consistently shown that we throw away around one third of the food that we buy. I find these statistics appalling on many levels. Is legislation the only answer to stopping this kind of waste?

[Huguenot]

Legislation is always less effective than challenging people's motivation, so to address the issue you'd need to address the motivation first.

Possibly some of the following could be considered:

* It's convenient (no-one likes to go hungry because they haven't eaten enough)

* It's attractively priced (there's no penalty for over-buying)

* It's attractively packaged (marketers have all sorts of creative ideas to increase shelf-appeal)

* Bountiful tables heaving with delicious treats are a traditional cultural sign of status and achievement

* Discarding unwanted items elevates self-worth makes us feel good

* No-one criticises us

If you can systematically nail those motives, then you'll go some way to addressing the problem methinks...

[SeanMacGabhann]

I had you down as an anti-nanny-state type LadyMuck?

Food waste is definitely Not A Good Thing, but I'm not sure where you would start with legislation, and fairly sure that enforcing any legislation would be time-consuming and expensive, to the detriment of other social ills

It is but one symptom of a general over-consumption in "the west" - and I'm definitely as guilty as any. But I am looking at the root causes

[mockney piers]

While it's cheap and plentiful and our busy lifestyles continue as they do then, as Huguenot points out, there is no motivation to change out behaviour other than our own consciences.

We're trying to do better, our purchasing is more honed to what we use, we make the effort to use our fresh ingredients even when were tired and a pizza in the oven would be the easier thing to do, plus I now cnsistently make stocks after all my roasts and have even started buying trotters and veg and stuff to make lots f stocks for my freezer, best thing I've ever done, makes such a difference to soups and risotto and stews!!

But yeah it is pretty appalling isn't it.

[matthew123]

Better education perhaps, for instance do we always need to bin food as soon as it's passed the supermarket best before date.

Other question slightly off topic, is it better to bin unwanted food or stuff our faces and get fatter?

[Brendan]

Presumably if we didn?t the food producing, processing and retailing industries would all lose a 3rd of their business causing unemployment, market failures, etc.

[PeckhamRose]

There's lots of reasons though. A lot of people live alone these days but when it works out cheaper to buy in bulk, they'll store the spare stuff in the fridge or freezer, and then maybe forget it or something. Then chuck it out when they see the date! Also, the sell be/use by dates are not realistic, so food is chucked even when it could still be eaten without harm.

Also, we live in towns where we can't give food to the animals nearby.

In my Aunt's place in USA, she has goats and sheep and just chucks out everything she doesn't eat and they'll demolish the lot. Try asking if you can give such leftovers to the goats in Surrey Docks Farm and they'll positively blanch!

[Ladymuck]

Huguenot Wrote:

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> Legislation is always less effective than

> challenging people's motivation...

Whilst I agree that it is probably the case that the majority of citizens do not like to be dictated to...I do not believe that "Legislation is always less effective than challenging people's motivation". Anti-discrimination legislation (e.g. on sex and race) was, in my view, necessary in order to ensure a fairer deal for women and (e.g.) black people. As it is, it has not completely stopped discrimination on grounds of sex or race, but it has reduced it somewhat. Regarding the issue of food waste, the problem is not simply one of...you, Ladymuck, are wasteful because you threw away half a loaf of stale bread...it isn't that simple. Food waste has other consequences...e.g. the latest report by WRAP concludes that:

"Throwing away food that could have been eaten is responsible for the equivalent of 20 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions every year ? that?s the same as the CO2 emitted by one in every four cars on UK roads. It?s not just the methane that?s released when the food goes to landfill that?s the problem, but also the energy spent producing, storing and transporting the food to us".

The UK (in line with other EU countries) has EU targets to meet with regard to CO2 emissions. Can we realistically expect to see a reduction in waste sufficiently high enough to hit those targets without legislation?

[womanofdulwich]

all you need are teenagers- or at least teenage boys. they hoover everything up. i think they should be let out at 9pm every night to finish off the contents of everyone elses fridges. just leave a sign out to say you have FOOD. put any bits left over in the fridge, and if they get in before you it will be finished off the next night. i only throw away vegetable peelings and tea bags.

[Ladymuck]

SeanMacGabhann Wrote:

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> I had you down as an anti-nanny-state type

> LadyMuck?

Hmmmm...did you now...

So, just to clarify (and to get back on topic!), the question in my OP (i.e. "Is legislation the only answer to stopping this kind of waste?"), was precisely that: a question. I genuinely don't know the answer. It was not intended to be a statement saying that we should definitely implement anti-food-waste measures via legislation (although circumstances may compel this in the future).

>...I'm not sure where you would start with legislation,

> and fairly sure that enforcing any legislation

> would be time-consuming and expensive...

Most legislation is lengthy in process (and therefore expensive) as it has to go through 3 Readings and a Committee Stage before it can receive the Queen's Royal Assent and become an Act. Given the urgency of the matter (i.e. EU targets on CO2 emissions), the Government would need to ensure that a Minister introduces a Government Bill (as opposed to another type of Bill) as these have the highest chance of being passed.

[Huguenot]

"Anti-discrimination legislation (e.g. on sex and race) was, in my view, necessary in order to ensure a fairer deal for women and (e.g.) black people. As it is, it has not completely stopped discrimination on grounds of sex or race, but it has reduced it somewhat."

I think you're kind of supporting my argument here... If nobody wanted to discriminate on the basis of sex and race, then it wouldn't happen. Legislation hasn't completely worked, because although it has imposed regulation, it hasn't addressed the core issue - people still perceive benefits in discrimination, either on an economic or social level.

The issue could be better addressed by effectively demonstrating that reductions in discrimination improved standards of living for all, thus reducing the motivation.

Anyway, it's offtopication; my point is that the problem would be easier to address if nobody wanted to throw stuff away, rather than walling up the dustbin and causing social discontent through unwelcome legislation. Remember the poll tax?

[SteveT]

We can tax food to encourage people to buy less.

We can eat more of it and help get obesity on the front page.

We can teach everyone to act like the over 60's who do not have the concept of throwaway as their childhood was sooooo austere.

[Fear 'n boozin]

removing 'best before' dates could be helpful.

[Ladymuck]

mockney piers Wrote:

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>as Huguenot points out, there is no motivation to change

>out behaviour other than our own consciences...

>plus I now cnsistently make stocks after all my

> roasts and have even started buying trotters and

> veg and stuff to make lots f stocks for my

> freezer, best thing I've ever done, makes such a

> difference to soups and risotto and stews!!

>

Well, if that isn't motivation...I don't know what is!

[womanofdulwich]

there are generations out there who:

never plan their weeks meals

do not keep containers for freezing leftovers or live in tiny heated flats with no pantry and tiny freezing department.

have very limited domestic science skills

This could be turned around by better education at school and home.

Hugh FEarnley whittingstall did a really good program about cooking a whole chicken which was more expensive than chicken breasts, but using as the basis of 3 meals. i expect he was preaching to the converted.

Perhaps if chefs/tv programs started off with:

a cabbage- what you can do with it etc it might be more helpful.

Perhaps we should say no food waste in your bins?

compost peelings. bones for dogs. fat for the birds. that would over most of it?

[rainbow]

I managed to cut down alot on food wasted by bying daily rather than weekly. I cook only the right amount so making sure there's no leftover. with left over meats i'll make fried rice and vegs i'll use it in curry.

It worked for me, I guess it's not easy if you've been working all day.

I always feed the birds with any old bread.

[Ladymuck]

Fear 'n boozin Wrote:

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removing 'best before' dates could be helpful.

matthew123 Wrote:

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Better education perhaps, for instance do we

> always need to bin food as soon as it's passed the

> supermarket best before date.

According to the Food Standards Agency, a "best before" date is about quality not safety: most food should be safe to eat after that date though it might not be at its best. Indeed there now exist (quite legally) companies who actually specialise in selling foodstuffs with an out of date "best before" date. Incredible when not so long ago such an enterprise would have caught the interest of the Health Inspector. And the Secretary of State for the Environment has even gone so far as to suggest that "best before" dates should be ignored. But how many people know this? Matthew123's suggestion of educating the public makes sense...after all, many of us are now aware of the effects of e.g. excess salt or saturated fats in our diet thanks to FSA advertising.

[Huguenot]

"or live in tiny heated flats with no pantry "

Blinking heck. Heating? There's a crime.

[womanofdulwich]

i mean ones that do not have a cold pantry. if you live in a flat the only place you can keep things cold are in the fridge ( or windowsill/balcony). we have a pantry with an outside wall and no heat. on the other hand it is easier to keep a flat warmer than a house. my dad has a cellar and keeps all his veg there and it keeps for ages.

[Ladymuck]

womanofdulwich Wrote:

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>my dad has a cellar and

> keeps all his veg there and it keeps for ages.

That's interesting... I keep mine in the loft (the opposite end of the house to your dad - womanofdulwich), and veg keeps for ages there too (e.g. pumpkins/squashes harvested in September keep till the following March, as do spuds, onions and garlic).

[womanofdulwich]

top tip lady muck!!

[Ladymuck]

womanofdulwich Wrote:

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>>top tip lady muck!!

Thank you womanofdulwich...I try...

Anyway while here...I am going to risk commenting on something which I should have commented on earlier but did not because I wasn't quite sure whether or not the posters were joking. But hey, what have I got to lose - other than looking like the village idiot...so...

1. matthew123 wrote:

...is it better to bin unwanted food or stuff our faces and get fatter?

2. SteveT wrote:

...We can eat more of it and help get obesity on the front page.

Matthew123, I am unsure as to whether or not your tongue is in your cheek here...but...obviously neither of those propositions are desirable...though I suppose there is a logic (of sorts) that stuffing unwanted food into our faces may not constitute waste in the sense that the food is being saved from landfill etc. However, to me, the mere fact that food isn't being thrown away to fester underground for years and produce methane, doesn't necessarily mean that waste isn't involved. To my mind, to stuff one's face with food when one is not hungry is still wasteful in the sense that it involves the careless and inefficient use of food. Instead of throwing it away, why not give it to someone...(so they can stuff their faces!*jokes*)...that's what I do on the rare occasion I find food in the fridge when about to go on holiday for example...and the recipients of that food (mostly neighbours) return the favour when they in turn go away...it's a win win. But all this musing aside, isn't this whole debate about wasting less, rather than eating more?.

Steve T, as regards your post, I am almost certain (*big grin*) that your comment is made tongue in cheek...indeed, I can hear the facetious tone in your voice as well as see the mischievous twinkle in your eyes! (*laughs*). The problem of obesity in the UK is a very real one...and I don't think anyone would wish it to become front page news - but feel free to correct me if you feel differently! (*giggles*). Oh, and sincere apologies if I have misconstrued your post.