Yes, this country wastes so much food while people all over the world starve. But, what do we do about it? Does Dive offer a solution or are they just more Freegans?
I will never understand why the grocery stores and restaurants throw away perfectly good food. There are people who would appreciate the donations. It kills me to know that the ever so expensive avocados end up in the dumpster. Prepackaged goods that are a month away from 'expiring'. That a perfectly good banana with too many dark spots on the skin is not considered edible. And they can have you arrested if they catch you digging. I understand it's their property, but to me the worst of sins is having so much food available and not sharing what's going to end in the dumpster for sure. The philosophy of 'not making money out of it nobody can have it then'. Yeah yeah the FDA standards and all that bs too. It's so embarrassing.
The reason that they do not want people diving for the food is because of lawsuits. If somebody got sick from the food in the dumpster, they could sue the store. I watched a 20/20 thing about this (or Primetime) more then a year ago. All the groceries around here padlock their dumpsters. NYC is like the place to Dive. I would do it if it was available here in my city.
I already buy meat that has the $2 off coupon..meaning that they have to toss it in a day or two. I either use it that day or I freeze it. Thanks for sharing.
What is also embarrassing Meissa is this countries need for frivoless lawsuits. I have personally asked 3 grocery stores in my area why food that is expired (but really still good) or items that are thrown out that are still good are not donated to shelters or churches to be distrubuted and the answer was always the same- If someone gets sick, they will sue us.
Our society will not take responsibility for its own actions, we have people disregard common sense and then want to blame everyone else. If I purchase a cup of coffee and I then put it between my legs and drive away and some spills on me...is it the drive thru's fault? No...it's my fault. Coffee is hot, I should handle it with care. Sometimes coffee is REALLY hot and I should know anything that had to be brought up to a temperature greater than my own could burn me. But companies have to contend with people refusing to take responsibilty for such lack of common sense daily. So if a company gives all of their meat that they feel they can not sell to someone and they choose not to smell it to make sure it's not rancid or cook it to temperature and get sick by consuming it...this person will try and come back on the company that gave them the product. Kroger management has told me firsthand that it is cheaper to throw it in the trash than deal with the liability issues....sad.
anon 5:58 I was just about to say that. We throw away too much food at our shop and it's because donating it leaves us wide open for law suits. That's the only reason. The ones who really need it suffer because of the litigious attitude and ambition for easy money so prevalent now. It's extremely frustrating that a few people have ruined it for so many needy ones.
Also, production numbers are monitored closely so we don't throw away excessive amounts and so bakers do not over bake with the idea of taking the extra home themselves.
Seriously if the coffee wasn't hot we'd get massive complaints. When it is, you get lawsuits. When the floor is wet we have to put up yellow cones warning people including staff. Do you know how many times I've slipped on a wet floor? None. Do you know how many times I've tripped and fallen over the stupid 'wet floor' cones in the middle of the floor? Countless. Ironic. Thank you frivolous lawsuit people.
At Walmart we participate in a program called "Feeding America". We donate items from meat, produce and bakery that are still safe to eat, but don't meet our quality standards.
I shop at a store that regularly sells out of date products. I spend about 50% - 75% less than a regular grocery store in my area. I don't feel bad about it and feed all of the goods to my children. However, other people are foreign to the idea and think it will make them sick/etc. I still take stuff to work to share and don't tell them.
My Aunt and her paramour used to go "Dumpster Diving"....I LOVED summers with them! They always had tons of cool stuff!
I tried to get discarded greens and fruit for my birds, from the local Fred Meyer (Kroger) and was told that they couldn't allow that because someone might take the food for animals, but eat it themselves and get sick. Supposedly someone did that once. IDK, it sounds like urban legend, and simply the fear of lawsuits, to me.
I say more power to those who want to re-harvest from dumpsters. I've never done food, but I have gotten an occasional furniture item or two.
I shop a grocery outlet-type store often, and feel like I get pretty good deals. You just have to go and see what they have that you might want. It's not a case of really taking a shopping list there to get every item.
7 comments:
I will never understand why the grocery stores and restaurants throw away perfectly good food. There are people who would appreciate the donations. It kills me to know that the ever so expensive avocados end up in the dumpster. Prepackaged goods that are a month away from 'expiring'. That a perfectly good banana with too many dark spots on the skin is not considered edible. And they can have you arrested if they catch you digging. I understand it's their property, but to me the worst of sins is having so much food available and not sharing what's going to end in the dumpster for sure. The philosophy of 'not making money out of it nobody can have it then'. Yeah yeah the FDA standards and all that bs too. It's so embarrassing.
The reason that they do not want people diving for the food is because of lawsuits. If somebody got sick from the food in the dumpster, they could sue the store. I watched a 20/20 thing about this (or Primetime) more then a year ago.
All the groceries around here padlock their dumpsters.
NYC is like the place to Dive.
I would do it if it was available here in my city.
I already buy meat that has the $2 off coupon..meaning that they have to toss it in a day or two. I either use it that day or I freeze it.
Thanks for sharing.
What is also embarrassing Meissa is this countries need for frivoless lawsuits. I have personally asked 3 grocery stores in my area why food that is expired (but really still good) or items that are thrown out that are still good are not donated to shelters or churches to be distrubuted and the answer was always the same- If someone gets sick, they will sue us.
Our society will not take responsibility for its own actions, we have people disregard common sense and then want to blame everyone else. If I purchase a cup of coffee and I then put it between my legs and drive away and some spills on me...is it the drive thru's fault? No...it's my fault. Coffee is hot, I should handle it with care. Sometimes coffee is REALLY hot and I should know anything that had to be brought up to a temperature greater than my own could burn me. But companies have to contend with people refusing to take responsibilty for such lack of common sense daily. So if a company gives all of their meat that they feel they can not sell to someone and they choose not to smell it to make sure it's not rancid or cook it to temperature and get sick by consuming it...this person will try and come back on the company that gave them the product. Kroger management has told me firsthand that it is cheaper to throw it in the trash than deal with the liability issues....sad.
anon 5:58 I was just about to say that. We throw away too much food at our shop and it's because donating it leaves us wide open for law suits. That's the only reason. The ones who really need it suffer because of the litigious attitude and ambition for easy money so prevalent now. It's extremely frustrating that a few people have ruined it for so many needy ones.
Also, production numbers are monitored closely so we don't throw away excessive amounts and so bakers do not over bake with the idea of taking the extra home themselves.
Seriously if the coffee wasn't hot we'd get massive complaints. When it is, you get lawsuits. When the floor is wet we have to put up yellow cones warning people including staff. Do you know how many times I've slipped on a wet floor? None. Do you know how many times I've tripped and fallen over the stupid 'wet floor' cones in the middle of the floor? Countless. Ironic. Thank you frivolous lawsuit people.
At Walmart we participate in a program called "Feeding America". We donate items from meat, produce and bakery that are still safe to eat, but don't meet our quality standards.
http://feedingamerica.org/
I shop at a store that regularly sells out of date products. I spend about 50% - 75% less than a regular grocery store in my area. I don't feel bad about it and feed all of the goods to my children. However, other people are foreign to the idea and think it will make them sick/etc. I still take stuff to work to share and don't tell them.
My Aunt and her paramour used to go "Dumpster Diving"....I LOVED summers with them! They always had tons of cool stuff!
I tried to get discarded greens and fruit for my birds, from the local Fred Meyer (Kroger) and was told that they couldn't allow that because someone might take the food for animals, but eat it themselves and get sick. Supposedly someone did that once. IDK, it sounds like urban legend, and simply the fear of lawsuits, to me.
I say more power to those who want to re-harvest from dumpsters. I've never done food, but I have gotten an occasional furniture item or two.
I shop a grocery outlet-type store often, and feel like I get pretty good deals. You just have to go and see what they have that you might want. It's not a case of really taking a shopping list there to get every item.
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