Food waste - Revision history

Elie: /* Solutions / Actions to take{{fists}} */

2025-11-27T23:05:27Z

Solutions / Actions to take{{fists}}

← Older revision		Revision as of 19:05, 27 November 2025
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	==Solutions / Actions to take{{fists}}==		==Solutions / Actions to take{{fists}}==
	* [[Redirect unsold food]] from businesses, before they waste it.		* [[Redirect unsold food]] from businesses, before they waste it.
	* [[Demand longer lunch breaks]], so that people aren't in a rush to finish their meals.		* [[Demand longer lunch breaks]] at workplaces, so that people aren't in a rush to finish their meals.
	* Normalize having a [[leftovers bin]].		* Normalize having a [[leftovers bin]].
	* Inform people on what's salvageable: [[Is this still ok to eat?]]		* Inform people on what's salvageable: [[Is this still ok to eat?]]

Elie: Added an FAQ draft in a talk bubble (placed under heading "Lack of understanding" for now, because I didn't know where else to put it)

2025-02-08T08:08:10Z

Added an FAQ draft in a talk bubble (placed under heading "Lack of understanding" for now, because I didn't know where else to put it)

← Older revision		Revision as of 04:08, 8 February 2025
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	* Regret - for example buying junk food and then feeling bad about eating it so throwing it out. Not having someone nearby to give it to.		* Regret - for example buying junk food and then feeling bad about eating it so throwing it out. Not having someone nearby to give it to.
	====Lack of understanding====		====Lack of understanding====
	* Mistakenly thinking that food has gone bad [[Is this still ok to eat?\|when it has not]]. {{talk\|TODO: clarify via a story}}		* Mistakenly thinking that food has gone bad [[Is this still ok to eat?\|when it has not]]. {{talk\|TODO: clarify via a story}} {{talk\|TALK: This page is also going to need an FAQ section. I currently have just 1 FAQ drafted up, and it would be too awkward to have as the only one in the list. So I'm keeping it right here in the talk bubble. Here it is:{{pbr}}DRAFT: "If it's not healthy food, and I dont feel like finishing it, is it ok to waste it?" No. It still takes resources to make, not matter if it's healthy or not. Even empty calories [[nutrition\|can be part of a healthy diet]]. Try to find a way to save the food for later, or even just finish it now and then wait longer before your next meal (see also: [[intermittent fasting]]).}}

	==Effects==		==Effects==

Elie at 01:14, 16 December 2024

2024-12-16T01:14:46Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 21:14, 15 December 2024
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	* Inform people on what's salvageable: [[Is this still ok to eat?]]		* Inform people on what's salvageable: [[Is this still ok to eat?]]
	* Take matters into your own hands: [[Dumpster diving]]		* Take matters into your own hands: [[Dumpster diving]]
	{{minor\|''More solutions can be added here.''}}		{{minor\|''More solutions can be added here.'' {{talk\|Should this page also have another section called "Discussions" which includes a link to the [[plastic vs food waste\|packaging vs food waste]] tradeoff?}} }}

	===Seasonal - <span style="color:#FC0">Fall</span>===		===Seasonal - <span style="color:#FC0">Fall</span>===
	* [[Pumpkin recovery]] 🎃		* [[Pumpkin recovery]] 🎃

Elie: /* Business practices */

2024-11-07T00:16:27Z

Business practices

← Older revision		Revision as of 20:16, 6 November 2024
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	* It's common for restaurants & stores to throw away unsold food at the end of the day - even though most of it is [[Is this still ok to eat?\|still safe to eat]]. {{talk\|TODO: explain their motivations (bakery example) - unpredictability of demand - high markup (so would rather risk wasting ingredients than risk selling out early) - not enough people willing to buy dayolds (and the "dont compete w yourself" mindset discourages selling dayolds) - the end result is that half of stuff goes to waste}}		* It's common for restaurants & stores to throw away unsold food at the end of the day - even though most of it is [[Is this still ok to eat?\|still safe to eat]]. {{talk\|TODO: explain their motivations (bakery example) - unpredictability of demand - high markup (so would rather risk wasting ingredients than risk selling out early) - not enough people willing to buy dayolds (and the "dont compete w yourself" mindset discourages selling dayolds) - the end result is that half of stuff goes to waste}}
	* Grocery stores tend to set the bar high for what's fresh enough to sell.		* Grocery stores tend to set the bar high for what's fresh enough to sell.
	** Fruits & vegetables, for example, often get thrown out when they're [[~~dumpster diving~~#~~Food~~\|a bit old but still good]].		** Fruits & vegetables, for example, often get thrown out when they're [[Is this still ok to eat?#Most vegetables and fruits\|a bit old but still good]].
	*** <small>Less commonly, even fresh fruits & vegetables are sometimes thrown away [[ugly fruits and vegetables\|due to looking "ugly"]] (i.e. oddly shaped). But wastage of these is less common, because suppliers typically sell them to factories that turn them into frozen fruit, canned fruit, jams, etc.</small>		*** <small>Less commonly, even fresh fruits & vegetables are sometimes thrown away [[ugly fruits and vegetables\|due to looking "ugly"]] (i.e. oddly shaped). But wastage of these is less common, because suppliers typically sell them to factories that turn them into frozen fruit, canned fruit, jams, etc.</small>
	** Overly conservative "expiry" dates - or in some cases "best before" dates which can be weeks earlier than an actual expiry date. {{talk\|TODO: take it further, talk about safety tradeoffs - even past a true expiry, it's unsafe for ''some'' people but still safe for others with strong immune systems - the current regulations don't account for that (probably because it's an awkward discussion to bring up, prone to strawman arguments)}}		** Overly conservative "expiry" dates - or in some cases "best before" dates which can be weeks earlier than an actual expiry date. {{talk\|TODO: take it further, talk about safety tradeoffs - even past a true expiry, it's unsafe for ''some'' people but still safe for others with strong immune systems - the current regulations don't account for that (probably because it's an awkward discussion to bring up, prone to strawman arguments)}}

Elie: /* Business practices */

2024-11-07T00:14:12Z

Business practices

← Older revision		Revision as of 20:14, 6 November 2024
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	* It's common for restaurants & stores to throw away unsold food at the end of the day - even though most of it is [[Is this still ok to eat?\|still safe to eat]]. {{talk\|TODO: explain their motivations (bakery example) - unpredictability of demand - high markup (so would rather risk wasting ingredients than risk selling out early) - not enough people willing to buy dayolds (and the "dont compete w yourself" mindset discourages selling dayolds) - the end result is that half of stuff goes to waste}}		* It's common for restaurants & stores to throw away unsold food at the end of the day - even though most of it is [[Is this still ok to eat?\|still safe to eat]]. {{talk\|TODO: explain their motivations (bakery example) - unpredictability of demand - high markup (so would rather risk wasting ingredients than risk selling out early) - not enough people willing to buy dayolds (and the "dont compete w yourself" mindset discourages selling dayolds) - the end result is that half of stuff goes to waste}}
	* Grocery stores tend to set the bar high for what's fresh enough to sell.		* Grocery stores tend to set the bar high for what's fresh enough to sell.
	** Fruits & vegetables, for example, often get thrown out when they're [[dumpster diving#~~Common foods~~\|a bit old but still good]].		** Fruits & vegetables, for example, often get thrown out when they're [[dumpster diving#Food\|a bit old but still good]].
	*** <small>Less commonly, even fresh fruits & vegetables are sometimes thrown away [[ugly fruits and vegetables\|due to looking "ugly"]] (i.e. oddly shaped). But wastage of these is less common, because suppliers typically sell them to factories that turn them into frozen fruit, canned fruit, jams, etc.</small>		*** <small>Less commonly, even fresh fruits & vegetables are sometimes thrown away [[ugly fruits and vegetables\|due to looking "ugly"]] (i.e. oddly shaped). But wastage of these is less common, because suppliers typically sell them to factories that turn them into frozen fruit, canned fruit, jams, etc.</small>
	** Overly conservative "expiry" dates - or in some cases "best before" dates which can be weeks earlier than an actual expiry date. {{talk\|TODO: take it further, talk about safety tradeoffs - even past a true expiry, it's unsafe for ''some'' people but still safe for others with strong immune systems - the current regulations don't account for that (probably because it's an awkward discussion to bring up, prone to strawman arguments)}}		** Overly conservative "expiry" dates - or in some cases "best before" dates which can be weeks earlier than an actual expiry date. {{talk\|TODO: take it further, talk about safety tradeoffs - even past a true expiry, it's unsafe for ''some'' people but still safe for others with strong immune systems - the current regulations don't account for that (probably because it's an awkward discussion to bring up, prone to strawman arguments)}}
	* Damaged packages - for example if a dozen eggs has 1 broken, they often throw out the other 11 because the store isn't set up to sell individual eggs. Or if a 24-pack of soda has one damaged can, they have to throw out the other 23 cans.		* Damaged packages - for example if a dozen eggs has 1 broken, they often throw out the other 11 because the store isn't set up to sell individual eggs. Or if a 24-pack of soda has one damaged can, they have to throw out the other 23 cans.
	* Short lunch breaks (workplaces) - people don't finish everything in time		* Short lunch breaks (workplaces) - people don't finish everything in time

	===Cultural norms===		===Cultural norms===
	* Expecting food to be "always fresh".		* Expecting food to be "always fresh".

Elie at 22:31, 6 November 2024

2024-11-06T22:31:06Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 18:31, 6 November 2024
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			[[Category:Problems]]
			[[File:food-funnel.png\|thumb\|Food waste is one of the many inefficiencies that lead to [[global hunger]] and [[deforestation]].]]
	About 1/3 of the world's food goes to waste. In some places it's even more: In Canada & US, ''half'' of all food produced goes to waste.		About 1/3 of the world's food goes to waste. In some places it's even more: In Canada & US, ''half'' of all food produced goes to waste.

	==Causes==		==Causes==
	===~~Businesses~~===		===Business practices===
	{{~~empty~~}}		* It's common for restaurants & stores to throw away unsold food at the end of the day - even though most of it is [[Is this still ok to eat?\|still safe to eat]]. {{talk\|TODO: explain their motivations (bakery example) - unpredictability of demand - high markup (so would rather risk wasting ingredients than risk selling out early) - not enough people willing to buy dayolds (and the "dont compete w yourself" mindset discourages selling dayolds) - the end result is that half of stuff goes to waste}}
	===~~Personal~~===		* Grocery stores tend to set the bar high for what's fresh enough to sell.
	{{~~empty~~}}		** Fruits & vegetables, for example, often get thrown out when they're [[dumpster diving#Common foods\|a bit old but still good]].
			*** <small>Less commonly, even fresh fruits & vegetables are sometimes thrown away [[ugly fruits and vegetables\|due to looking "ugly"]] (i.e. oddly shaped). But wastage of these is less common, because suppliers typically sell them to factories that turn them into frozen fruit, canned fruit, jams, etc.</small>
			** Overly conservative "expiry" dates - or in some cases "best before" dates which can be weeks earlier than an actual expiry date. {{talk\|TODO: take it further, talk about safety tradeoffs - even past a true expiry, it's unsafe for ''some'' people but still safe for others with strong immune systems - the current regulations don't account for that (probably because it's an awkward discussion to bring up, prone to strawman arguments)}}
			* Damaged packages - for example if a dozen eggs has 1 broken, they often throw out the other 11 because the store isn't set up to sell individual eggs. Or if a 24-pack of soda has one damaged can, they have to throw out the other 23 cans.
			* Short lunch breaks (workplaces) - people don't finish everything in time
			===Cultural norms===
			* Expecting food to be "always fresh".
			** For example, not enough people are interested in buying discounted day-old donuts, compared to how many day-old donuts bakeries generate.
			* Not wanting to take the last of something at a dinner party (+ apathy when cleaning up, throwing away the leftovers). {{x\|solution: Be bold & precise, ask the people around you: "Hey let's finish this last {whichever food} so it doesn't go to waste - who wants it?"}}
			* It's considered weird to ask "Do you want the rest of this?" when it's food on your plate. Even weirder to ask "If you're not finishing that food on your plate, can I have it?". So people don't ask.
			* Germophobia (despite the fact that sharing food is generally less risky than being in the same room and breathing the same air). {{talk\|make a new page about this?}}
			* Apathy, in some cases. {{talk\|"{Not finishing what's on your plate} is fine but don't chuck it, c'mon!" I gotta say this but in a less patronizing way lol. Same with "people gotta learn to be ok with salvaging older fruits & veg before they go bad, even if it doesn't taste the best". Maybe I should put this in a bullet point called "preferences".}}
			* [[Procrastination]] when it comes to cooking & finishing ingredients before they go bad.
			* Regret - for example buying junk food and then feeling bad about eating it so throwing it out. Not having someone nearby to give it to.
			====Lack of understanding====
			* Mistakenly thinking that food has gone bad [[Is this still ok to eat?\|when it has not]]. {{talk\|TODO: clarify via a story}}

	==Effects==		==Effects==
	* [[Food waste ~~in rich countries~~ causes hunger in ~~poor~~ countries]] {{talk\|(because it contributes significantly to global food shortages).{{pbr}}TODO: Make the page}}		* [[Food waste causes hunger in other countries]]. {{talk\|(because it contributes significantly to global food shortages).{{pbr}}TODO: Make the page}}
	* [[Food waste harms the environment]] {{talk\|(mostly because of how it drives [[deforestation]]; also because of the methane that food produces while rotting in landfills or even compost).{{pbr}}TODO: Make the page}}		* [[Food waste harms the environment]] (even when it's composted). {{talk\|(mostly because of how it drives [[deforestation]]; also because of the methane that food produces while rotting in landfills or even compost).{{pbr}}TODO: Make the page}}

	==Solutions / Actions to take==		==Solutions / Actions to take{{fists}}==
	{{~~empty~~}}		* [[Redirect unsold food]] from businesses, before they waste it.
			* [[Demand longer lunch breaks]], so that people aren't in a rush to finish their meals.
			* Normalize having a [[leftovers bin]].
			* Inform people on what's salvageable: [[Is this still ok to eat?]]
			* Take matters into your own hands: [[Dumpster diving]]
			{{minor\|''More solutions can be added here.''}}
	===Seasonal - <span style="color:#FC0">Fall</span>===		===Seasonal - <span style="color:#FC0">Fall</span>===
	* [[Pumpkin recovery]] 🎃		* [[Pumpkin recovery]] 🎃

Elie: /* Solutions / Actions to take */

2024-11-02T15:45:25Z

Solutions / Actions to take

← Older revision		Revision as of 11:45, 2 November 2024
Line 13:		Line 13:
	==Solutions / Actions to take==		==Solutions / Actions to take==
	{{empty}}		{{empty}}
			===Seasonal - <span style="color:#FC0">Fall</span>===
			* [[Pumpkin recovery]] 🎃

Elie: Created page with "About 1/3 of the world's food goes to waste. In some places it's even more: In Canada & US, ''half'' of all food produced goes to waste. ==Causes== ===Businesses=== {{empty}} ===Personal=== {{empty}} ==Effects== * Food waste in rich countries causes hunger in poor countries {{talk|(because it contributes significantly to global food shortages).{{pbr}}TODO: Make the page}} * Food waste harms the environment {{talk|(mostly because of how it drives deforestation..."

2024-10-26T23:01:59Z

Created page with "About 1/3 of the world's food goes to waste. In some places it's even more: In Canada & US, ''half'' of all food produced goes to waste. ==Causes== ===Businesses=== {{empty}} ===Personal=== {{empty}} ==Effects== * Food waste in rich countries causes hunger in poor countries {{talk|(because it contributes significantly to global food shortages).{{pbr}}TODO: Make the page}} * Food waste harms the environment {{talk|(mostly because of how it drives deforestation..."

New page

About 1/3 of the world's food goes to waste. In some places it's even more: In Canada & US, ''half'' of all food produced goes to waste.

==Causes==
===Businesses===
{{empty}}
===Personal===
{{empty}}

==Effects==
* [[Food waste in rich countries causes hunger in poor countries]] {{talk|(because it contributes significantly to global food shortages).{{pbr}}TODO: Make the page}}
* [[Food waste harms the environment]] {{talk|(mostly because of how it drives [[deforestation]]; also because of the methane that food produces while rotting in landfills or even compost).{{pbr}}TODO: Make the page}}

==Solutions / Actions to take==
{{empty}}

← Older revision		Revision as of 20:16, 6 November 2024
Line 7:		Line 7:
	* It's common for restaurants & stores to throw away unsold food at the end of the day - even though most of it is [[Is this still ok to eat?\|still safe to eat]]. {{talk\|TODO: explain their motivations (bakery example) - unpredictability of demand - high markup (so would rather risk wasting ingredients than risk selling out early) - not enough people willing to buy dayolds (and the "dont compete w yourself" mindset discourages selling dayolds) - the end result is that half of stuff goes to waste}}		* It's common for restaurants & stores to throw away unsold food at the end of the day - even though most of it is [[Is this still ok to eat?\|still safe to eat]]. {{talk\|TODO: explain their motivations (bakery example) - unpredictability of demand - high markup (so would rather risk wasting ingredients than risk selling out early) - not enough people willing to buy dayolds (and the "dont compete w yourself" mindset discourages selling dayolds) - the end result is that half of stuff goes to waste}}
	* Grocery stores tend to set the bar high for what's fresh enough to sell.		* Grocery stores tend to set the bar high for what's fresh enough to sell.
	** Fruits & vegetables, for example, often get thrown out when they're [[~~dumpster diving~~#~~Food~~\|a bit old but still good]].		** Fruits & vegetables, for example, often get thrown out when they're [[Is this still ok to eat?#Most vegetables and fruits\|a bit old but still good]].
	*** <small>Less commonly, even fresh fruits & vegetables are sometimes thrown away [[ugly fruits and vegetables\|due to looking "ugly"]] (i.e. oddly shaped). But wastage of these is less common, because suppliers typically sell them to factories that turn them into frozen fruit, canned fruit, jams, etc.</small>		*** <small>Less commonly, even fresh fruits & vegetables are sometimes thrown away [[ugly fruits and vegetables\|due to looking "ugly"]] (i.e. oddly shaped). But wastage of these is less common, because suppliers typically sell them to factories that turn them into frozen fruit, canned fruit, jams, etc.</small>
	** Overly conservative "expiry" dates - or in some cases "best before" dates which can be weeks earlier than an actual expiry date. {{talk\|TODO: take it further, talk about safety tradeoffs - even past a true expiry, it's unsafe for ''some'' people but still safe for others with strong immune systems - the current regulations don't account for that (probably because it's an awkward discussion to bring up, prone to strawman arguments)}}		** Overly conservative "expiry" dates - or in some cases "best before" dates which can be weeks earlier than an actual expiry date. {{talk\|TODO: take it further, talk about safety tradeoffs - even past a true expiry, it's unsafe for ''some'' people but still safe for others with strong immune systems - the current regulations don't account for that (probably because it's an awkward discussion to bring up, prone to strawman arguments)}}