Danger-Mouse Posted February 5, 2016 Report Share Posted February 5, 2016 France has become the first country in the world to ban supermarkets from throwing away or destroying unsold food, forcing them instead to donate it to charities and food banks. http://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/feb/04/french-law-forbids-food-waste-by-supermarkets What a great idea! We should have something similar over here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeffjjack Posted February 5, 2016 Report Share Posted February 5, 2016 France has become the first country in the world to ban supermarkets from throwing away or destroying unsold food, forcing them instead to donate it to charities and food banks. http://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/feb/04/french-law-forbids-food-waste-by-supermarkets What a great idea! We should have something similar over here. +1 Absolutley! It's an absolute disgrace how the western world destroys hundreds of tons of perfectly good food when people are on the bread line and homeless!! I blame supermarkets! Bloody horrible places!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fuji Shooter Posted February 5, 2016 Report Share Posted February 5, 2016 That will be the bin raiders next across the tunnel then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fern01 Posted February 5, 2016 Report Share Posted February 5, 2016 (edited) I have seen lorry loads of potatoes being fed to cattle with absolutely no reason why they should have been rejected by the supermarkets Edited February 5, 2016 by fern01 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
islandgun Posted February 5, 2016 Report Share Posted February 5, 2016 as a student I worked part time in a fruit /veg packing factory in the fens, one damaged pineapple in a box throw it away, the sack if you took one out of the skip, far to much waste in this country well done france Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grrclark Posted February 5, 2016 Report Share Posted February 5, 2016 +1 Absolutley! It's an absolute disgrace how the western world destroys hundreds of tons of perfectly good food when people are on the bread line and homeless!! I blame supermarkets! Bloody horrible places!! I blame the punters who buy stuff and don't use it, for wanting everything shrunk wrap and in evenly sized containers, for expecting to have everything done for them and not get their hands dirty, who want everything as cheap as they possibly can with no consequence to what that might actually mean further up the supply chain. The supermarkets are a product of demand for low cost and convenience and they are spectacularly good at delivering. Our attitude toward food and food waste is our problem, not the supermarkets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keg Posted February 5, 2016 Report Share Posted February 5, 2016 As succinct as ever Grr. The same people complain about a Tesco or Asda opening up in their town and then shop there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danger-Mouse Posted February 6, 2016 Author Report Share Posted February 6, 2016 (edited) I blame the punters who buy stuff and don't use it, for wanting everything shrunk wrap and in evenly sized containers, for expecting to have everything done for them and not get their hands dirty, who want everything as cheap as they possibly can with no consequence to what that might actually mean further up the supply chain. The supermarkets are a product of demand for low cost and convenience and they are spectacularly good at delivering. Our attitude toward food and food waste is our problem, not the supermarkets. There`s a lot of truth in these comments but the consumer isn`t entirely to blame. It`s a bit like the old question "Which came first, the chicken or the egg?". There`s no doubt that the customer wants to buy their shopping as cheap as possible. I mean, who doesn`t like a bargain? But did the consumer ask for the supermarket or was the supermarket thrust upon them? The first supermarkets popped up in the USA round about the time of the Great Depression and one of the first advertising slogans used was "Pile it high. Sell it low." As succinct a description of supermarket theory as you`re ever likely to hear. Obviously during a period of financial struggle such as the Great Depression this kind of store was going to be popular. And once the genie was out of the bottle there was no going back. So other than cheap food what does the supermarket offer? Well as stated above they offer convenience. If I pop into my local butchers at a busy time I might have to wait 5 minutes to be served. At the supermarket I just pick my steaks (in their cellophane wrapped package) out of the chiller, throw them in my basket and I`m off in search of my next item. Let`s say I also need bread, well it`s just a few aisles away. If I`d bought my steaks from the butchers then I`d have to trot over to the bakers using up time and then maybe having to wait again to be served using up yet more time. Now in the grand scheme of things that extra 10-15 minutes doesn`t really mean a lot. However modern life is often conducted at breakneck pace. Here in the UK that`s probably much more true for us than many of our European cousins because on the whole we work longer hours and have less free time. So much to do, so little time to do it. I`m not saying it`s right, it`s just how it is. And then there are those clever people who have worked out how to manipulate us when we do go shopping. Merchandising/retail theory is at the centre of the placement of every single item in a supermarket. Walk into any one of the bigger supermarkets and you will be greeted by fresh fruit and vegatables or flowers. Something that is designed to look spacious and remind you of entering an old fashioned market. Tea and coffee are placed next to biscuits because one makes you think of the other. And these are simple tricks that any reasonably intelligent person can realise. But it goes way beyond that. Did you know that when soups are arranged alphabetically sales drop by 6%? Or that when breakfast cereals are arranged by type rather than brand that sales drop by 5%? The supermarkets do and they make sure that everything is arranged to encourage the consumer to buy as much as possible. Yes we the consumer are often guilty of wasting food. A sin that those who grew up during rationing no doubt find heinous. But again that must be seen to be partly down to companies who manufacture goods that have limited lifespans or are simply throwaway products. This philosophy has carried over into our eating habits because food is often cheap, because of the supermarkets. So it becomes a two way street. Chicken or egg? Imo neither party is wholly responsible but neither party is wholly innocent either. Yes we the consumer should attempt to cut down on our waste but so should the retailers. Edited February 6, 2016 by Danger-Mouse Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
STOTTO Posted February 6, 2016 Report Share Posted February 6, 2016 All that which is not burnt-off in exercise is waste, whether deposited upon the waistline or the waste heap! Consumerism is the scourge of the human race, both nurturing and destroying us in equal measure. Equilibrium being achieved by the fortunate overfed minority ‘sitting pretty’ at one end of the scale, balanced at the other by the underprivileged starving millions of the world barely hanging on to life! So here on the perch I say, “Don’t Knock It”!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr D Posted February 6, 2016 Report Share Posted February 6, 2016 (edited) Fraternity! Well done France. I wonder will a petition to parliament start here? We could start one. Six signatures and were are off!!!! Edited February 6, 2016 by Dr D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr D Posted February 6, 2016 Report Share Posted February 6, 2016 Here we go. I would encourage everyone to sign up. https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/119440 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
islandgun Posted February 6, 2016 Report Share Posted February 6, 2016 Here we go. I would encourage everyone to sign up. https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/119440 signed thats 24 of us Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr D Posted February 6, 2016 Report Share Posted February 6, 2016 (edited) Only 9976 to go!!!! Come on gents 😀 Edited February 6, 2016 by Dr D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danger-Mouse Posted February 6, 2016 Author Report Share Posted February 6, 2016 There`s another. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old man Posted February 6, 2016 Report Share Posted February 6, 2016 And another. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
12gauge82 Posted February 6, 2016 Report Share Posted February 6, 2016 Great idea, signed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dougy Posted February 6, 2016 Report Share Posted February 6, 2016 At one time some of our supermarkets used to do this, they used to supply local soup kitchens, and half way houses for the needy and similar until some very small minded 1/2 wit tried to sue the for supplying unfit out of date produce. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rodp Posted February 6, 2016 Report Share Posted February 6, 2016 signed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr D Posted February 6, 2016 Report Share Posted February 6, 2016 Here we go. I would encourage everyone to sign up. https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/119440 Well done gents. I am going to try to keep this thread going. Come on PW we can do better than this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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