Wasting Food?

[jackalprime]

Hi all, this is kinda long but bare with me.

I have a question for all of you. Growing up in a family that was lower middle class (never had cable went on family trips outside canada, didnt have a lot of stuff) I grew up with the belief that food should not be wasted. If I couldnt eat it, like pizza or half a sandwich either give it away (to my brother, friend) or eat it later. Im talking about UNTOUCHED food, like CUT in half sandwiches and the like. Recently, Ive encountered a lot of waste in our "throw away" culture.

For example, I work in a banquet hall setting up the tables and chairs and sound equipement. There was a birthday here the other night and there was A LOT of food left over. Im talking about TONS of sandwiches and samosas and CUPCAKES and unopened bags of snacks like chips. I told them that instead of pitching them out, I would take them and the staff can eat it. They were thrilled because they didnt want to take it home and they also didnt want to waste it. So I put it in the fridge. Now I came in and it is all gone. Someone threw out 4 trays of sandwiches and other food. If I knew they were gonna throw it out I know a lot of homeless on yonge street would have appreciated it.

Another example is when I went to McDonalds. They gave me the wrong sandwich and i brought it to their attention AT THE REGISTER and they gave me the right order but THREW out the wrong sandwich. They could have EASILY let me keep it or could have just gave it away later.


Another instance is at restaurants. I went with my nephew to Rainforest cafe (an over priced restaurant for the food in any book). and i saw food like chicken wings and full sandwich wraps and curly fried untouched after the customers left. (bill was paid) My nephew saw the curly fries and was intrigued by them and wanted to have one I asked the waiter if i could grab a couple before he cleaned up and he said that they cant do that. (dont know why, the food was paid for. Im not asking for free food). And he proceeded to throw it in the trash


Im I crazy, or should I just adjust to this country's faux pas about eating unused food. Should I be ashamed of myself? Should I just adopt this culture of glutton?

[jackalprime]

Originally Posted by jackalprime

Hi all, this is kinda long but bare with me.

I have a question for all of you. Growing up in a family that was lower middle class (never had cable went on family trips outside canada, didnt have a lot of stuff) I grew up with the belief that food should not be wasted. If I couldnt eat it, like pizza or half a sandwich either give it away (to my brother, friend) or eat it later. Im talking about UNTOUCHED food, like CUT in half sandwiches and the like. Recently, Ive encountered a lot of waste in our "throw away" culture.

For example, I work in a banquet hall setting up the tables and chairs and sound equipement. There was a birthday here the other night and there was A LOT of food left over. Im talking about TONS of sandwiches and samosas and CUPCAKES and unopened bags of snacks like chips. I told them that instead of pitching them out, I would take them and the staff can eat it. They were thrilled because they didnt want to take it home and they also didnt want to waste it. So I put it in the fridge. Now I came in and it is all gone. Someone threw out 4 trays of sandwiches and other food. If I knew they were gonna throw it out I know a lot of homeless on yonge street would have appreciated it.

Another example is when I went to McDonalds. They gave me the wrong sandwich and i brought it to their attention AT THE REGISTER and they gave me the right order but THREW out the wrong sandwich. They could have EASILY let me keep it or could have just gave it away later.


Another instance is at restaurants. I went with my nephew to Rainforest cafe (an over priced restaurant for the food in any book). and i saw food like chicken wings and full sandwich wraps and curly fried untouched after the customers left. (bill was paid) My nephew saw the curly fries and was intrigued by them and wanted to have one I asked the waiter if i could grab a couple before he cleaned up and he said that they cant do that. (dont know why, the food was paid for. Im not asking for free food). And he proceeded to throw it in the trash


Im I crazy, or should I just adjust to this country's faux pas about eating unused food. Should I be ashamed of myself? Should I just adopt this culture of glutton?

I also would like to add that i REFUSE to give into the "no sharing" policy some restaurants have with their drinks. If I buy a 3 dollar soda, I can share it with my girlfriend if i want. I bought it. My girlfriend and her friends totally agree with me and they do it too with their significant others. If i can buy a soda and give it to the table next to me, I can buy one and share it.

[Cheers Ian]

It all has to do with food safety. Remember how years ago McDonald's would have all their burgers pre-maid sitting there on those racks? Not anymore, everything is now made to order.

Places are paranoid about people getting sick from food, and launching a lawsuit against them.

It's very wasteful, but it's just the way the world works now. I used to work at a Supermarket and all the prepared food from the Hot Deli would just get tossed at the end of the night. They used to let the employees take it home, but then people got caught cooking like 8 chickens at 8:00 p.m. just so they could take most of them home.

[Gaetznes]

The sad part is that some foodbanks/soup kitchens will not even except premade stuff like sandwichs.

You really have a valid point there about the waste.

Part of the problem is the NA culture produced in the last 100 years. During the dirty 30 up to the late 40 alot of people either didn't have work or clearly didn't have the proper access to food. As a result, in post WWII they had the baby boomers. Which they made sure never went with out. Always made sure they had something to eat and lots of it. That way we never experinced starvation as they did.

However, whats happened, is each additional generation has taken this as a right not a previliage. So where 70 years ago it would have been frowned upon for leaving half a sandwich on your table and not taking it with you. Not to say there was not waste back in the 40s. But now a days, depending on how your raised, food can just simple to throw out. Its Consumerism at its best.

[Mumps]

It is reasons like this that I am suporting my city's latest offer of having Green bins added to our local garbage pickup. Any unwanted food item, or other organic garbage can be thrown in the green bin and recycled later.

Unfortunately the best thing to do right now is to try and accept the wasted food. It bothers me almost as much as it bothers you, so I kind of know how you feel. I hate seeing things go to waste.

[Cheers Ian]

Also maybe if restaurants didn't give such HUGE portions nowadays there would be less waste.

I'm happy to see that many places are now scaling back the portions of food given - leads to less waste and less overeating.

[Team Jetfire]

I hear you. I hate seeing food wasted and there are sooooo many places that do it. I use to work at Pizza Hut and we chucked so much stuff. There was a few decent managers that would let us have the extras, but there was always the one bitch who made sure we threw it all out.

Sure it is not as easy as giving it to the homeless, but with all the people going hunrgy, there has to be a better use for this food.

[Mumps]

Originally Posted by Cheers Ian

I'm happy to see that many places are now scaling back the portions of food given - leads to less waste and less overeating.

Old Spaghetti Factory in Calgary, I go there once in a while. They have decent portions, sometimes too big though.
Old Spaghetti Factory in Indianapolis, I ordered the same dish as my usual (seafood alfredo) and it was more than double the size, for a cheaper price! So much wasted that meal...

[pud333]

Waste kills me. People toss food away all the time and it drives me nuts.

My gf used to work at Starbucks, and they would throw food away a day or so before the expiration. So instead of throwing it away, every night she would take the food left for disposal (I'm talking about perfectly good, sealed sandwiches) and give them to the homeless people she saw on the way home. (There are lots in Vancouver). Sometimes people would accept them, sometimes they wouldn't - people get paranoid she did something to the sandwiches, which she didn't. This one time she saw two guys with large backpacks - they were clearly traveling - and she offered them a couple sandwiches. Their eyes lit up and they thanked her multiple times as they took them.

Wasting water also drives me nuts. We're too spoiled here. I can't say I experienced severe hunger or thirst, but the closest I came to that was when I got really sick a couple years ago from the swine flu. I couldn't eat anything, or drink anything for a couple days. Anything I drank, it would end up in the toilet literally minutes later. I was so thirsty and so hungry. The most I could do was get my gf to dab my lips with a moist towel. As soon as I was able to hold down water and food, I was so thankful. I would never wish starvation or dehydration on anyone.

[JLvatron]

Originally Posted by jackalprime

Im I crazy, or should I just adjust to this country's faux pas about eating unused food.

Never EVER adjust to any wasteful habits.
It's disgusting and our home and native land is indeed 1 of the most wasteful countries on this planet.

With all the starving people in this monde, we need more people like who who actually respect food.

Goodz on you, dude!