jezzi9Flyer
261699
7896
187
We are wrecking the planet's eco systems to make way for our food,we are throwing almost half of away.
Aug 19, 2017 11:35 AM
jezzi9Flyer
261699
7896
187
We are wrecking the planet's eco systems to make way for our food,we are throwing almost half of away.
thesunisgettingreallow
I work at a non-profit animal rescue/public ed. If it weren't for the donations of "bad" food we would never be able to feed our animals .
newsfeeder
throwing it away is composting..
PulpyOJ
Sad how this even needed to be passed. The world produces more than adequate amounts of food than we need and yet so many folks go hungry.
darkwyverna
In NYS farmers are no longer allowed to sell apples that hit the ground. Those used to go to Motts but now they're wasted and rot.
obijuantacobi
I worked at a grocery store where all our produce was donated when it was deemed unsaleable.
Einer
Technically food->trash->incinerators->energy.
wherethehorriblethingsare
Don't take that, Africa!
HighlandPotatoe
In the UK M&S don't donate food because they got tons of complaints when they did. The food was too rich and causing dirreah in homeless.
Cheomesh
Too rich?
DOR1057
All it takes is one person getting sick with donated foods and said company will be open to a lawsuit
l33tChickenWings
Yeah no, at least in America. Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Act of 1996.
znuff
But big chains actually cook the food in their own catering/restaurant unit. 1 ton of chicken expires in 2 days? Cook it into dishes
znuff
Auchan and Carrefour are doing it here in Romania. Kaufland has a grill/catering unit too.
Cardenjs
isn't it that today enough food makes it to store shelves to satisfy the caloric needs of 10 billion people?
Morec
The charity thing sounds like it would get unhealthy, but the animal feed/compost sounds reasonable.
cousteau
Well, "best before" sometimes means "after that it'll start decaying; still edible but not as good; however don't eat it 2 years after that"
ProgressPanda
Energy? isn't it common to burn garbage for energy anyway?
cousteau
Not much; fossil fuels burn better. But I guess the trend will change and bio-energy will become more and more spread.
psas206
Pcc natural markets in the Seattle area has been doing this for decades
RonaldFckingSwanson
I also read once that public transport is free in dt Paris due to pollution. That is not true.
cousteau
Maybe it was one day they banned cars.
escalinci
They did it on some days when pollution was particularly threatening. Banned many cars too. http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-26574623
DeadOnionSaysWhat
I bummed rotten produce from the store for compost, got home, every single piece was excellent, ripe, tasty, simply imperfect looking.
4sambucas
Didn't they do that, like, 2 years ago?
Catastrofic
I worked at an elementary school in CA and we were forced to throw away children's lunches that they didn't want. No food could be saved
AFSamizdat
Seems like it would increase the cost of food, as now that grocer is responsible to staff, store, pack, etc. old produce/food.
leebarsmasher350
I think a lot of countries could learn from this.
bustosoon
As a consumer, I just want good food and don't really care about waste
GodCommentMaker
I see perfectly good good being thrown out in kilos just because it passed the 30 minute timeline.
xxDmDxx
Grocery store I work for donates to food banks and what's not edible is sent away to be used for compose. Recycles oil too.
RoodKontjeAapje
Don't most supermarkets throw food away -because- it's illegal not to so do, i.e. for hygiene-related rules?
KyleButNotThatKyle
I'm not sure why you're being downvoted. It's not illegal, it's just a liability for them if someone gets sick.
RoodKontjeAapje
I was assuming it was forbidden by something like national health inspection standards.
cousteau
Now it'll be illegal yes to do so!
toasteheh
This happened ages ago...
WhiteSavage
Yeah my town has this Food Bank that gives them poor jobless people okay food that may go bad soon, sometimes frozen
NeedtofavouritetheseWallpapers
That's what I was thinking, at least more than a year ago if not longer.
agobshiteinparis
And sorry to be a Debbie downer but that law was retracted a few months after it passed
AntiCircleJerker
As much as people try to act like France is so forward-thinking, how TF wasn't this the deal before? Who destroys it as option number one?
SalvalecRhaplanca
Well, I used to work for a grocery store that donated out of date but edible food to soup kitchens, but stopped because a homeless 1/2
SalvalecRhaplanca
guy got sick and sued them. Ruined it for everyone else.
AntiCircleJerker
Ain't that some shit. Hate seeing good intentions halted because of one person. "Litigious society" barely begins to describe our world.
Cheomesh
If I saw that as a ticket out of homelessness...
ThrowMamaFromTheTrain
Of course, judges with common sense could prevent this.
CuttleFishOfCthulu
I worked in produce for a long time. I couldbt handle all the food that would get thrown away just because it wasn't cosmetically perfect.
dandydust
when i worked as a grocery store bakery clerk i had to throw away shopping carts full of perfectly good bread every night
PrincessCheesyWieners
Just be thankful your mom knew she'd go to jail if she did that when you were born.
CuttleFishOfCthulu
What's the point of this comment?
Downvotemeifurafag
Farmers throw away so much because things won't sell if it doesn't look perfect,even though there's nothing wrong with the food
nnugles
Mark it down for us cheap folks or donate to local food pantry. Or juice it, bottle it up, and sell that.
Tunaccat
Not a Communist, but it's fucked we create more food and housing than people on earth yet we let them starve.
wremise
You know what is really fucked? 1st world countrys sell subsidized food to 3rd world countrys, so the farmers of these cant sell their food.
Themurloc
Taco Bell. Any mistake during food prep meant junk it. Not even allowed to eat em on breaks. I know the pain
AlexanderValkyrion
I know companies in the is that would love to donate that stuff. (1/2)
AlexanderValkyrion
However, they can't because of some pretty crazy regulations governing food banks and the like. (2/2)
sh3nhu
But they are talking just about edible food.
Treblaine
Well it's time at the checkout where the customer complains "it's bruised, please waste 5 minutes of your time fetching me a pristine one".
Treblaine
Businesses are on tight labour budgets, we don't have the manpower to be running errands like that, it's not worth even minimum wage's time.
bordersams
And that's just what went to your store. 2/3 of the produce doesn't even make it to the store because farms throw out odd looking foods
ThePotatoBandit
Monoculture of bananas in central America is a shiit show right now. Exists because we want our bananas yellow and unbruised
AlmightyDylon
When I was a butcher we donated extra meat to the wolf sanctuary
Panda4hire
I love buying the ugly apples at farmers markets. 1/2 off for a perfectly good apple? Hell yeah, you are gonna be a pie.
HungarianOxPenisInABlender
I agree nutritionally and taste are not particularly affected by shape or color. Though some taste might be attributed to color in terms
HungarianOxPenisInABlender
Of ripening. What really annoys me is all the good food we waste at my job. We don't even serve it out to homeless people who can take it
admiralaverage
I wasn't allowed to take a nice pizza home because it's sold chilled but someone put it in the freezer. They made me throw it away
admiralaverage
Me as an employee btw
PlatoOrPotato
Produce workers unite! The amount of potatos/onions/tomatos/apples that gets thrown out is horrendous. Even perfectly ripe bananas
JakobThor
I useto work on a garbage truck. We go to supermarkets weekly to get their trash obv. The crazy thing is most of the things in the bins 1/?
JakobThor
Are still edible: bakery foods, cereals, snaks .etc In most places its illegal to sell goods that have "run out". Bullshit i have a 2/?
JakobThor
Storage room filled with cookies and snaks that ive nicked months ago they are still delicious 3/3
Broken08
now you know how I feel....every day
leodavinci1
Yeah... too bad we can't force people to buy something they don't want.
InquisitorOctaviusoftheOrdoMalleus
I currently work in a warehouse packing produce onto skids to send to stores we have to throw stuff out 1/2
InquisitorOctaviusoftheOrdoMalleus
Sometimes because it has already spoiled, Not a huge amount of it but over a few weeks it adds up. 2/2
Kaurakexi
Thank god our warehouse gives us stuff for free that has expiration date too soon to be sent to stores.
InquisitorOctaviusoftheOrdoMalleus
Nice which company
Kaurakexi
Eh, it's just some logistics firm that rents warehouse space for other companies, afaik.
yeahnahlate
Yeah I usually buy 'odd fruits' because they are cheaper and usually only have a small bruise.
Homophone
My local grocery carries 'misfit' fruit. I make it a point to stop there first. It's ugly and delicious. :D
jb32647
Exactly, just because a carrot is banana-shaped doesn't mean it tastes bad.
kiriyamas
I would buy a banana shaped carrot
AluminumMuffin
Carrot for scale (*note not to scale)
KillaVLY
Korean super markets put those in an "ugly but still good " pile lol
Stinkybutt123
WHY ISN'T IT ILLEGAL HERE? I don't understand how there aren't laws in place for such waste!!!
LargeVarge
Sadly it's mostly due to liability if you have away food and they got sick they can sue you.
Stinkybutt123
It doesn't make sense to me that they would be able to sue. It's donated food, you run the risk of it being tainted or hurting you.
DickPicEnthusiast
Liability. Stores don't wanna get sued over donated food.
stormraider1000000
Yeah a bruise on an apple (especially golden delicious) meant trash on a busy day or markdown on a slow day
slyfox001
Perfect cider apples. You want them a little bruised, sweetens it.
slyfox001
Not to mention having worked on an orchard over a summer golden delicious are very hard to not bruise, special palm picking technique
CuttleFishOfCthulu
I was a produce manager briefly. I got the local zoo to come pick stuff up a few times a week. Theyd give us free passes. It was cool. >
Calculussucks
Walmart gives much of their unsaleable food to the local food bank. Not all of it, but the edible stuff.
CuttleFishOfCthulu
< But the store stopped doing it the same week I quit.
Gonz000
Womp wahhhh
wanderingwonderer
Same week the sun shined a little less brightly in the zoo animals lives.
probshouldntsayitbut
Clever. Seems even if the kickback is small it is better than nothing at all.
Tikityler
Well that and it does not really cost the zoo anything to have people walk around. They may even buy stuff at the zoo. Win win for the zoo.
CuttleFishOfCthulu
We never asked for anything in return. They just gave us some from time to time. It was cool to go to the zoo and see our cull in habitats.
CheshirePhoenix
And only about 40-50% of the harvest even GETS to grocery stores because it doesn't "look right" when harvested.
ImageAberration
Yes but...Exact % depends on the crop, but a lot of the "imperfect" produce gets routed to processed foods instead of grocery store produce
PirateRubberDuck
That is why we have so many varieties of crisps. It uses up the not so pretty potatoes.
probshouldntsayitbut
Mmmm crisps.
ZashchishchayushchiysyaOsushchestvitelLzhesvidetelstva
I like your accent. I really do
PirateRubberDuck
I'm not sure what you think my accent is actually like but thank you I guess.
PizzaSlayer42
British since you said crisps. I guess. Not in this dude's head
lucymax
We should encourage people to reduce food waste at home too. Not sure what incentives could be created, but that would have a huge impact.
MrSwaggerMcJaeger
In Sweden we got a green bag we put our food waste in and that becomes bio-gas
WhatzitTooya
First get consuments used to imperfect but still perfectly fine vegetables. So many of them wasted for not being shiny enough...
GnomeDeGuerre
Lead by example, make a virtue of it.
SurprisedHillary
In Linköping, Sweden, we have a green bag for our food that we toss that is made into biofuel
NeatoBuilds
We use all our leftovers as compost and only grow 'non-lazy' plants and trees
WarriorSoul
My hometown has a strict limit of how much waste they will collect. They will collect unlimited recycling, but only two garbage cans.
TheGamingBaconator
Some people would refuse to reduce food waste out of spite. PESSIMIST MAN AWAY!
elganif
Where I am we have recycling bins at every home, and they are planning on putting in compost bins too that would be picked up weekly
meerple
They just starting that here. Organic garbage gets picked up every week, regular garbage is now only every other week.
meerple
So unless you want your garbage can to overflow, you have to use the compost bins.
ZashchishchayushchiysyaOsushchestvitelLzhesvidetelstva
In warm countries, it comes from generation to generation, that food that was not eaten will be bad tomorrow, from the times when fridges --
ZashchishchayushchiysyaOsushchestvitelLzhesvidetelstva
did not exist. Today there is no need to throw food away, but people still do it because their grandparents did it because their --
ZashchishchayushchiysyaOsushchestvitelLzhesvidetelstva
grandparents did it. I came to a warm country from a cold country where even centuries ago people could store food outside the house, and --
ZashchishchayushchiysyaOsushchestvitelLzhesvidetelstva
I hate to see people throwing away perfectly good untouched food for no rational reason
bondocean
It's called gardening. When you grow it you don't waste it
lucymax
Sure, I garden myself and have a compost bin. But that isn't possible for everyone.
joshuaiwjew
In Northern Ireland we have small brown bins for each house which is for food scraps, otherBiodigradable wastes.The plastic bags decompose 2
marsgoose
iDK, the food costs money incentive works on me.
meerple
Freeze all your veggie scraps. When you have a ton, make your own OG veggie stock for soups or pasta or anything. Yummy.
CheshireCad
Same with useless meat scraps. The bones, fat, and gristle. You haven't had rice until you've made it with stock from a rotisserie chicken.
afriendofmine
Fuck yes. Best dishes are made of scrap for some reason.
Homophone
I make fruit punch wine with my leftover fruits and veggies. Freeze the stuff before it turns and pop it in a carboy when you have enough.
CatsandDnD
I grew up in an area where compost bins were common. Where I live atm, we don't have them. Every time I have to throw biodegradable stuff to
CatsandDnD
a normal bin I feel bad. Also, we have a neighbour who doesn't gaf, throws clothes to paper trash, normal trash to glass bin etc.
mindstorm8191
How about spending less on groceries? We do that already, but produce goes bad before we get to it sometimes... so we don't buy it often
Cheomesh
Frozen is best anyways
MTNSTR
Why isn't saving the planet a good enough incentive? Sigh ...
ArtArchive
Because this isn't going to save the planet.
Rogahar
Here in Germany, there are very specific bins for different purposes, one just for organic, biodegradable matter.
Rogahar
That sort of thing helps a lot.
clawthewolf
Here in Sweden we get taxed depending on how heavy our trashcan is. However, we can get a separate one for compost
Spartan132
I've always eaten my leftovers. I couldn't imagine just throwing it all away.
afriendofmine
I'm an entitled PoS so I over buy quickly decaying food which I end up throwing away and hating myself for it in the process.
Telekopio
my personal incentive is, that planning (and therefore reduced wastage) saves money. I use that on going to restaurant/fancy food
LosPer
Yeah, just what we need is more restrictions on what we can do in our own homes...please. No.
Cheomesh
Welcome to civilization.
PangolinBan
Incentives, not restrictions. Like making it cheaper to have recyclable waste fractions collected. You can still toss all your garbage 1/2
PangolinBan
2/2 together, you'll just pay ten times more for disposal than if you separated your waste.
nowitsshowtime
Education and empathy. Monetarily a garbage tax based on weight? But realistically I don't see that happening or being efficient.
IntranetButler
I eat a lot of fruit, like pineapple & mangos that occur lots of food waste for the food waste bin. I'd be charged for healthy eating.
probshouldntsayitbut
I think they are saying weigh the garbage seperately from green waste and recyclables.
Ssssssssssss
Garbage tax based on weight would fail (even if it got through the legislature) by people throwing food away in the woods.
Sigge1981
In Sweden the garbage trucks weigh your garbage when they empty the bin, and then you're charged by how much you throw away.
nowitsshowtime
How do you do this in an area with a huge population density? Would take too long and time is money, so would cost a ton, no?
giftkartoffel
Here an arm picks up the can and dumps it in the truck. Just add a scale to the arm. Have some sort of scan tag w your address on the bin
illysp
One flaw is that in populated areas you'd have a lot of people dumping their trash in other people's bins.
melveys
A rural area nearby tried to limit the number of bags it would pickup per week per household. It just encouraged illegal dumping in thewoods
probshouldntsayitbut
Sunbazesnewaccountbecuasegooglehateme
And im going to guess trash fires in burn barrels?
Ssssssssssss
Either that or burying the trash.
tankboy
Refine arbitrary "sell by" dates. Works for medications too. We are not the problem, our laws are.
AmazinglyCoolNameHere
"We are not the problem, our laws are." Spoken like a true narcissistic american.
tankboy
Thank you!
CriticalMinne
Always ask why first.
Xenophemera
I work with packaging medications; regardless of shelf life - I've seen up to 3 years - the exp date on packaging is always 1 year. 1)
Xenophemera
Such a waste.. but working in a medical facility I feel like I see nothing but severe waste. It's a wonder these companies stay afloat. 2)
tankboy
One man's waste is another man's profit.
FromDenmarkWithHate
Haha what?! We are 100% the problem!
floppysocks6776
Exactly
tankboy
We create, we waste, we pass stupid laws, who else could we blame?
michonnedisapproves
Muh librulz, obviously.
AmazinglyCoolNameHere
B-BUT THE GOBERMENT
tankboy
Once elected, a persons's IQ doubles and they acquire The Wisdom of Solomon. I'm surprised you didn't know that.
Whatifthiswastaken
Thing with medicine is they have to play it extra safe otherwise people could get seriously poisoned
AIRBORNEALLTHEWAY
Define "poisoned". I found a bottle of Percocet from 10 years ago that I thought was stolen. I've taken worse but it hit me like a semi.
ForgotMyOtherAcct
Your response upon seeing a bottle of decade-old Percocet was to take it?
AIRBORNEALLTHEWAY
Immediately, no. I have chronic pain issues now and it was maybe a year after I found it that I took one, not that it makes it better.
ForgotMyOtherAcct
My concern was more a substance abuse one than an expired meds one, so that's mostly ameliorated now lol. Waiting a year isn't exactly
tankboy
But, but, free Percocet! Better yet, "found" Percocet.
tankboy
Rarely. The main problem is proving to the FDA that your drug doesn't degrade quickly. It's cost-prohibitive.
The701
Proving that your product won't turn toxic with time is something I think of as a fairly good thing.
ForgotMyOtherAcct
That's true, but after a certain point actually proving it stays safe indefinitely isn't feasible to strict standards. It's harder to prove
ForgotMyOtherAcct
A negative.
Treblaine
It's fundamentally a conflict of interests as your drug "expiring" means they give you more money to cover the same demand replacing pills.
Treblaine
Corporations work for SHAREHOLDERS, they can't justify to shareholders spending big money proving something that'll undermine their revenue.
PreciousPotato
Or at least, educate people in what that actually means. There are so many who think that food spoils quickly after the "sell by"- date, /1
Treblaine
I don't know about other countries but in UK "Best before" just where it MIGHT taste bad but still safe, "USE BY" is "food poisoning risk".
Treblaine
But the use-by "risk" is just where it becomes statistically measurable, how probable? No one can really say, it is some risk. 1%? 0.01%?
PreciousPotato
Yes, we got the "use by" for stuff like eggs and meat. Anything with potentially harmful bacteria that keep on multiplying.
Treblaine
Yeah, kinda hard for bad bacteria to multiply in a bag of salted potato chips, but they can go stale so they taste like cardboard.
PreciousPotato
while this is only the date until companies guarantee for the quality of a product. Like, mustard doesn't actually spoil, but if it's a /2
Treblaine
Yeah, there is difference between a "freshness guarantee" so "oh this just tastes stale" vs "shit, actual botulism toxin here".
PreciousPotato
few years older than it's sell-by date, it loses flavour, especially spicyness. If they had sold it to you that way, the expected hot /3
PreciousPotato
mustard might turn out to taste way too mild. Just for example.
PudgyPinkiePie
With milk you have ten days. That's a long time.
PreciousPotato
I actually lived without a fridge for almost 2 years - knowing I can rely on my nose helped. The most ridiculous example was my Ex: he /1
PreciousPotato
actually threw away a still closed pack of dehydrated soup. Just to be "safe". *eyeroll
PudgyPinkiePie
Fuckin what. If it's sealed and not bulging or sealed and dry I trust it.
smooshiebanana
We would here, but it's too easy for people to sue the pants off companies, so they refrain from allowing it in many cases.
MrPredator
Sad and true. That scene from Suburban Commando is right on point anymore. People are fucking quick to sue.
Cheesecakecrush
It seems heartless but realistically there are some fuckin vultures out there.
axelgermany88
John Oliver did a video about this. He said companies cant get sued over this.
JustYourAverageNerd
I dont know where you are, but if its the usa then you cant be sued
DoseOfScience
They're actually protected IIRC, give me one second to find you a link.
DoseOfScience
http://www.feedingamerica.org/ways-to-give/give-food/become-a-product-partner/protecting-our-food-partners.html
chefsoda
The protection only applies to food donated to a charity, and only to commercial food, not to cooked food given directly. (1/2)
chefsoda
It kills me as a chef & attorney, but the cost of packaging and certifying our leftovers is more in time & money than buying new food.(2/2)
DoseOfScience
Oooh, good point, have you sent a letter to your congresscritter?
vitfall
Lets be honest, in the US, stores would likely just give it back to the supplier as compost, get a discount from them, and charge more.
imnotthatblonde
in the uk that happened to sainsburys
woodjoiner
Poor people are known for their access to top lawyers. :P
Ninjainslippers
This is 100% false. Look it up. Stores often don't donate food because it's cheaper to throw everything away.
BergVonDinkle
Quality control, it's a job. ppl do it. Companies have insurance and get sued a ton anyway
Erdan
I thought that was disproven?
OscarWao
This is false. The good Samaritan clause says companies aren't liable for goods they donate, the liability falls on the food pantry, etc.
wo1fie
My Popeyes used to donate all leftover food to homeless. They stopped because they were afraid of getting in trouble
calway
My elementary school sold leftover cafeteria food to pig farmers to raise money for after school projects. It got reported and they stopped.
TallDude
Feel like this is a false statement that makes sense to folks that think lawsuits are everywhere. Doubt that is the reason for not donating.
Ninjainslippers
Yep. It costs money to save unsellable food and coordinate donations. It costs less to throw it in the trash.
LizardEnterprises
False, The Federal Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Act of 1996 protects food donaters from lawsuits.
NotABadLookingNarcissist
Not as easy as you think. Watch the last week tonight episode on food waste. Pretty informative and occasionally funny.
simenems12
There's a few Good Samaritan laws in place (here in Colorado) that disallow those lawsuits. No one here has ever been sued from donated food
SoybeanLumberjack
All you gotta do is have em sign a waver right? Am I wrong? Is this not a simple solution?
Ninjainslippers
You don't even have to do that. The only liability by law is if people donate contaminated or unsafe food knowingly.
LiamNeesonOfficial
Common misconception, USA isn't as litigation happy as media makes it. Was an Adam Ruins about it. TLDW, it McDonalds smear campaign in 90s.
pomax
Here's the thing: you can only sue what the law permits. If you change the law, people _can't_ sue anymore. I know, crazy right?
PossiblyJewish
Worked at a buffet for a while, asked boss why we didn't donate extra food, he said the same thing. It opens up the company for liability.
Ninjainslippers
We need to stop the spread of this misinformation. It doesn't. You can't sue unless you can prove intent to harm. Very difficult.
snarflex
Yes, it's absolutely not about unwillingness, it's about the legality of it.
Ninjainslippers
No. The law protects you unless there is malice. Stores don't do it because it requires employee time and coordination.
irlborat
No, its more to due with the fact that its to expensive for stores to package donated food.
Ninjainslippers
Yeah, it's cheaper and easier to just throw it away than to coordinate a pickup and have employees save extras.
WineAndRevelry
In the US there are good faith laws. Typically you cannot be sued unless you knew it had gone bad.
OutoftheDarknessIntotheLight
Not for companies like Starbucks. We still do it, but we risk getting fired taking food home or giving it away
TallDude
That is the employee taking food stuffs without permission. AKA stealing.
OutoftheDarknessIntotheLight
Agreed. But one can't deny there is a criminal amount of unnecessary waste going on
theyar
They don't protect companies enough. Plus, it's not just lawsuits, but media and PR. "Homeless shelter food poisoning outbreak after 1/?
theyar
Whole Foods unloads old garbage bread on them." Doesn't even matter if the bread wasn't the problem. 2/2
[deleted]
[deleted]
AnnieBahde
Yeah but these cases aren't usually filed by lawyers being paid upfront but instead are contingency cases and I doubt you'll find many
justneedfortofavoritecannotthinkofclevername
Companies settle and pay the attorneys because it's cheaper than paying their own defense costs.
AnnieBahde
Who are lining up to pay for that case considering the fact most won't be successful.
breakingcode
Have a waiver "Hi, do you prefer "risking" sickness to "actually" starving? It's probably safe but it's dumpster bound sign here & enjoy."
breakingcode
Same with trial meds. "Are you 90% sure you're dying in the next year/month/week/day. Sign this and roll the dice for science test pilot!"
kindakinda
"it's too easy for people to sue" is not true. See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Emerson_Good_Samaritan_Act_of_1996
kindakinda
The actual reason stores don't donate is that it's easier to throw it all away. Being good takes more effort than being bad.
Fynndango
All the major grocers in Michigan donate unsold food. Kroger, Meijer, even Target.
hardytardigrade
Is that actually true, or just something you've heard?
Ninjainslippers
(something they've heard)
Tinkrr
This was a big thing when I worked at a supermarket. We donated as much as we could but legal matters prevented a lot of it. /shrug.
marsgoose
Sad;y being dragged trough the legal system is punishment enough, even if you "win". Especially without looser pays.
Oranal
If i remember correctly walmart donates food
SINisterWyvern
And have separate bins out back for compost. Bakery, meat, and produce items all go out instead of with the trash.
NateintheNorth
Target does too. Still throw a bunch away. Literally into the compactor.
theyar
But do they donate waste food?
MarinaShore
At Walmart, discarded produce went to compost and anything that was good but not sellable went to the foodbank.
userpay
My store lets employees take home damaged food. And gives some vegi waste to people who make deliveries to the store for their animals.
amoebot
I'm pretty sure that a lot of companies would gladly serve tainted food to homeless people for the tax break.
Ninjainslippers
Walmart donates food to food banks because people got upset so many employees relied on benefits to live.
giftkartoffel
Give it to farms for compost or to feed animals
MrTestCat
I imagine even doing that there'd still be quite a surplus
giftkartoffel
Better to have a lot of compost than have it go to a landfill
TheSSMorgan2015
Honest question: if it went to a landfill wouldn't it still turn into compost/decompose anyway?
shadefang
iirc, no. i'm vaguely remembering an article about pulling 50 year old newspapers out of a landfill, still readable.
giftkartoffel
Not usefully. Compost is like super soil for plants. Lots of nutrients to help them grow
coolcalx
When I worked at Walmart, we composted produce and donated dented canned goods to charity
HMRyuuza
The one near me donates theirs to a local farmer to grind up into slurry for pigs.
RocketOgre
That is the least evil thing I've ever heard about Walmart.
coolcalx
Keep in mind, it's not a corporation mandate. It's just what our store did
TheGamingBaconator
They donated it to a charity that they owned, where they cremated children and puppies. That evil enough?
PudgyPinkiePie
They sometimes do good. Could take a few pages from Costco
Theman098
Or Kroger... which is a little biased of me.
AbsolutIceland
My buddy's dad worked at a Sam's club, they donated a bunch of (refrigerated, not frozen) meat to a soup kitchen. The soup kitchen left 1/2
AbsolutIceland
the meat in the fridge for two weeks then tried to serve it. Needless to say the meat was well past edible by then. The soup kitchen 2/3
AbsolutIceland
then turned around and blamed Sam's Club. They don't give away food any more.
smooshiebanana
When I went to the Health Department, this is what they told me, that it wasn't okay. Legally though it may be alright. I'm not so sure now
AbsolutIceland
It was also a while ago so the law could have changed between then and now. I don't know when the law went into effect.
CptBronson
Common misconception. Can't sue for getting sick eating donated food.
Flyndaran
Bloated cans killing people from botulism? I seriously doubt it. Even the U.S. doesn't hate the poor that much.
TheGamingBaconator
Like people wouldn't try...
AnnieBahde
I mean you'd have to find a lawyer to take that case, probably on contingency. I can't imagine many attorneys shelling out the money to file
AnnieBahde
A case against a nonprofit with likely small pockets knowing most cases are unlikely to succeed.
Assgaurdian
No one in the US has actually tried
PangolinBan
Which speaks volumes... :p