![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
turpsWednesday's child is full of woe
Create: Produce something that focuses on overcoming challenges and barriers, either small or large, self-made or imposed by others. You can put as much pain and angst in there as you want, but show us a response to that. It doesn't need to be an uncomplicated victory and a bed of roses either.
Squee: Tell us about a cause you’re passionate about, or perhaps a cause that fandom introduced you to. Feel free to link to informational videos or articles where people can learn more about that or be inspired. Tell us how we can get involved and make a difference, whether through donating, volunteering, learning, changing our behaviours or thinking etc.
Starting to catch up.
I wasn't sure what to write for this. Then I thought about my first entry and realised that I could talk about food wastage.
The following is an excerpt from Re-F-Use's main webpage.
In the North East alone over 800,000 tonnes of food waste are generated every year. That’s over a third of food produced for us to eat. We think that’s rubbish and we hope you agree.
We don’t see this food as ‘waste’, we see beautiful and valuable food, and we see the energy, time, fuel, water and other resources that have gone into making it, packaging it and getting it to our supermarket shelves. Join us in giving it value and stopping this waste of resources.
800,000 tonnes just in the North East. Those figures are staggering and it's hard to believe that perfectly good food is thrown away because it looks wrong or is approaching an end date.
Thankfully there are organisations trying to address that, and I use quite a few.
The Company Shop was initially a membership supermarket for people who work for the NHS, but has expanded to many other jobs now. They take and then sell on food and goods that otherwise would be wasted, either crushed or thrown in a tip. For example, goods that have had incorrect weights put on the labels, or have been sent out for delivery and then sent back.
I've talked about Re.F.Use before but they take food that would otherwise be thrown away and create tasty meals in their cafe or commercial catering branch. They also give that surplus food to those in need for a token amount.
Forage is a new surplus food supplier in the area. They sell big carrier bags of surplus food for £5 and also have a waste menu where you pay as you feel. Though they're on smaller scale than Re.f.Use.
Olio is an app I use a lot. Food Waste Heros pick up food that would otherwise be thrown away by the big supermarkets and shops, list it and give it away for free. People can also list any personal food they want to get rid of, as well as non food goods. It's an app that can be great or terrible depending on area. We're lucky to live relatively close to two Food Waste Heros who give away food they pick up from Tesco. But I know other areas have people picking up from Pret, Costa etc. It's always worth checking the app though to see what's being given away in your area.
Too Good to Go is another app which is more focussed on resturants, but some supermarkets have also joined. In this app you have to pay for a magic bag, but the cost of what you pay is way under what the goods cost. I've had many bags from Costa in the past and recently Greggs have joined, but they've very popular so I've never managed to grab a bag yet. But, I live in hope.
These schemes are a drop in the ocean in terms of food waste, but I think any little helps.
And I'm not saying to stop shopping at the big supermarkets, as that would be impossible. All the projects above are great but you can never guarantee what's available so I always have to top up shop, especially for pet food. But I am saying, if you see a display of wonky veg in your local supermarket consider buying it. If you find out a surplus food scheme exists in your area, consider supporting it. Because in a world where so many people are hungry, the fact that so much perfectly good food is thrown away is all kinds of wrong.
Create: Produce something that focuses on overcoming challenges and barriers, either small or large, self-made or imposed by others. You can put as much pain and angst in there as you want, but show us a response to that. It doesn't need to be an uncomplicated victory and a bed of roses either.
Squee: Tell us about a cause you’re passionate about, or perhaps a cause that fandom introduced you to. Feel free to link to informational videos or articles where people can learn more about that or be inspired. Tell us how we can get involved and make a difference, whether through donating, volunteering, learning, changing our behaviours or thinking etc.
Starting to catch up.
I wasn't sure what to write for this. Then I thought about my first entry and realised that I could talk about food wastage.
The following is an excerpt from Re-F-Use's main webpage.
In the North East alone over 800,000 tonnes of food waste are generated every year. That’s over a third of food produced for us to eat. We think that’s rubbish and we hope you agree.
We don’t see this food as ‘waste’, we see beautiful and valuable food, and we see the energy, time, fuel, water and other resources that have gone into making it, packaging it and getting it to our supermarket shelves. Join us in giving it value and stopping this waste of resources.
800,000 tonnes just in the North East. Those figures are staggering and it's hard to believe that perfectly good food is thrown away because it looks wrong or is approaching an end date.
Thankfully there are organisations trying to address that, and I use quite a few.
The Company Shop was initially a membership supermarket for people who work for the NHS, but has expanded to many other jobs now. They take and then sell on food and goods that otherwise would be wasted, either crushed or thrown in a tip. For example, goods that have had incorrect weights put on the labels, or have been sent out for delivery and then sent back.
I've talked about Re.F.Use before but they take food that would otherwise be thrown away and create tasty meals in their cafe or commercial catering branch. They also give that surplus food to those in need for a token amount.
Forage is a new surplus food supplier in the area. They sell big carrier bags of surplus food for £5 and also have a waste menu where you pay as you feel. Though they're on smaller scale than Re.f.Use.
Olio is an app I use a lot. Food Waste Heros pick up food that would otherwise be thrown away by the big supermarkets and shops, list it and give it away for free. People can also list any personal food they want to get rid of, as well as non food goods. It's an app that can be great or terrible depending on area. We're lucky to live relatively close to two Food Waste Heros who give away food they pick up from Tesco. But I know other areas have people picking up from Pret, Costa etc. It's always worth checking the app though to see what's being given away in your area.
Too Good to Go is another app which is more focussed on resturants, but some supermarkets have also joined. In this app you have to pay for a magic bag, but the cost of what you pay is way under what the goods cost. I've had many bags from Costa in the past and recently Greggs have joined, but they've very popular so I've never managed to grab a bag yet. But, I live in hope.
These schemes are a drop in the ocean in terms of food waste, but I think any little helps.
And I'm not saying to stop shopping at the big supermarkets, as that would be impossible. All the projects above are great but you can never guarantee what's available so I always have to top up shop, especially for pet food. But I am saying, if you see a display of wonky veg in your local supermarket consider buying it. If you find out a surplus food scheme exists in your area, consider supporting it. Because in a world where so many people are hungry, the fact that so much perfectly good food is thrown away is all kinds of wrong.
no subject
Date: 2021-08-28 10:54 am (UTC)I've tried the Too Good to Go, but unfortunately it is only small petrol station supermarkets that are within easy reach from where I live and whilst I've done that, it's often produce I already have anyway as I get a local veg box regularly.
no subject
Date: 2021-08-28 06:41 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2021-08-28 09:04 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2021-08-29 02:32 pm (UTC)I really should try and completely empty my freezer completely. That's something I can be better at.
Too Good To Go is such a great app but I agree, it depends on location a lot. My son lives in the city centre of Newcastle and he could eat from that app every day and get a big variety of products. Sadly where I live the choice is much more limited.
no subject
Date: 2021-08-29 02:34 pm (UTC)I always remember watching a TV show where mountains of vegetables were being thrown away simply because they didn't look perfect for the supermarket shelves.
Thankfully things have changed and a lot of those shops now sell wonky veg for a cheaper price. But I suspect loads more will be crushed or left to rot.
no subject
Date: 2021-08-29 02:36 pm (UTC)I hope the app has some good offerings for you.