I’ve been meaning to write something about the recent articles on how Americans are throwing away over 40% of their food, but am still having a hard time figuring out what to say.
So I decided to post the pictures of most of the edible food I’ve been able to reclaim on a weekly basis over the past 5 months. All of the food you see in the pictures below was taken off the grocers shelves and placed into large banana boxes for me to take home as “chicken scraps.” None of the food sat in a dumpster, or on a floor to rot in the back. It just had blemishes, and I was able to pick up all this food within 2-4 hours of it being pulled from the shelf.
When you add up all the food I was able to reclaim over the past 5 months it’s astonishing to see how ridiculous we have become as a society to feel like fresh fruits and vegetables have to look absolutely perfect in order for us to buy them off a grocers shelf. No wonder there are seed companies out there trying to engineering bigger, better, and more shelf stable produce.
Somewhere along the line we got it all wrong. Instead of buying local food when it’s in season, we now buy corn and strawberries in January that has to be flown in for every corner of the world. No wonder the shelf life of the product is so short. It takes a while to get here.
Food, like anything else, begins to loose it’s appeal when we can have whatever we want, whenever we want.
We need to get back on track, and do what generations before us did, and eat {and really appreciate} foods that are truly in season for the area we live in. Not what can be flown in from 5,000 miles away.
To read the stories behind the pictures, head on over HERE.
Jodi says
I appreciate the post! I feel the same way.
Mika says
I’ve been following this series for the last couple of weeks, and finally remembered this morning to call our local stores and ask about this. I got the “we’re not allowed” story from most (I live in a pretty small town in rural Indiana), but the biggest chain store in town said they couldn’t give it to me because of Health Regulations, but they very carefully set the boxes in the dumpster and if I was there, a word wouldn’t be said to me about it. He said the agreement with them is that they think the waste is ridiculous, so they do what they can to see it go somewhere it WILL be used (but no, they can’t give it to a charity of any sort). So my husband and I went this morning. I’m almost in tears at the bounty we brought home. 5 5-gallon buckets immediately went to the chickens..the rest is spread over my ENTIRE kitchen waiting for me to process. I sent a banana box full of food to my parents, and the rest I’ll keep as much for my family as I can, and spread amongst neighbors who need a hand as well. There’s well over 100 lbs. of produce here..thats still perfectly good to eat. There was a bunch of meat in there too, it was CRAZY!!!!! Thank you for inspiring me.
Mavis says
Send me some clear pictures Mika, I’d love to share them here on the blog. 🙂
Susan says
Yes!!! Send pictures!
Mika says
I will! Have to get them off my phone first (emailed some to a friend of mine who didn’t believe me lol).
Mika says
OK, I can’t find your email address to send them to (I may be overlooking it, I’m a bit tired from kitchen duty all day!)? Can you point me in the right direction? Thanks!
Mavis says
Mika I just sent you an email. 🙂
Nancy says
Why don’t the grocery stores just sort through it a little and discount it? Seems like they have folks on staff. They could pick the few bad berries or grapes out of the bag, repackage them, and sell them for 50% off. They’d still make some money, and perhaps folks who are on a limited budget and can’t afford a lot of fresh produce would now be able to afford fresh berries and such. The amount of waste in this country is disgusting.
Lucky L says
And that’s just ONE day at your ONE store Mavis.
I’m constantly amazed at the amount of trash my neighbors throw out every week. They have the mondo-big bins overflowing. We have the smallest one they have and sometimes don’t put it out every week.
Penelope says
When I brought home the first reclaimed food (cause of you Mavis) a few weeks ago, my brain was spinning all night long. I came to the conclusion that even if (big IF) the food wasn’t edible by people, or even livestock, at the very least ALL of it was valuable to compost! And compost produces more and better produce in the future. Our grocers are throwing away gold.
So now I NEED a pick up truck that can hold 2 carseats (for the littles to come with me) so I can drive around each day to all the local grocers so I can pick it all up. I should start a business. The least I could do is drag it to the local city compost site for them to compost. My oldest decided to major in landscape management. I want her to get in on this with me so we can sort/clean it all (the twist ties/mesh bags on some things). I don’t see how I can do this, but I want to take action! Compost to purchase from our city site is between $15-$20 a cubic yard. I think all the material they compost is donated.
I will say, however, that our store, at least on the day I go, seems to have little waste. They don’t throw out much, as most of what I find is individual leaf lettuce pulled from the heads to make the head more appealing or the ends of corn on the cob and some husks. But then again, I’ve only done this for 3 weeks now.
Penelope says
Just adding here what I picked up today. The barrel was only maybe 2/3 full. They really DON’T get rid of much. But what they did pull today was heavy so I didn’t even fill my 2 boxes. I got tomatoes, avocados, lemons, limes, a couple peppers, a tiny jalapeno, and lettuce/greens scraps. Told the neighbor with a few chickens that I would throw stuff over the fence.
I decided to stop at the other grocer in town and ask… they can just say no right? Still, it takes courage each time I do this. Anyway, I was thrilled, and others may be as well, that they give the best stuff after the sell by date to the local charity on main street of our small town or to the food bank, and then are contracted with someone to pick up the rest each day for composting.
Michelle says
Wow. WOW. I’m speechless, really. All I can think about are “the starving children in Africa”…thousands of children with NO FOOD and here we are, fat and happy, throwing away tons of it DAILY.
On another note…I wonder how much all of this food is worth…what would it have cost you had you purchased it? Amazing…
Mika says
My VERY rough estimate of what I picked up today? At least $500. Sickening.
Heather T. says
I need to get the courage to ask our two local stores, we live in a very small town in Wisconsin so its slim pickings for stores we do have a super walmart but they wouldn’t give anything away I know (worked there for 12 years) just send me your courage ok! Not sure why being told no would really matter that much but it is what is stopping me.
Sue says
I used work for WalMart, left in May. I have to put in a word of support for them, at least here in North Carolina. The store I worked for, and all the stores in our district, donated usable food to the regional food bank twice a week. What was considered inedible produce was put in special dumpsters to be used for pig feed. Now I would have been happy to sort through some of that produce, but at least it wasn’t being put in to the regular dumpster to go to the landfill. So no, they won’t give it to you, but at least it isn’t being wasted. I am fairly sure this is a national program.
There is one other major chain grocery store here and one independent chain in our area. The major chain does not sell reduced price produce. They used to, but several years ago (about 10, maybe) they stopped. I asked them why, and they said it was county health regulations, but I know that was a lie, because the independent chain does sell reduced produce, I buy it all the time. And all three stores sell reduced meat when it is close to date.
In any case, I think I’ll go ask the two groceries for veggies for my chickens. Can’t hurt!
Angie B says
CRAZY. just plain crazy how much is thrown out!
Sonoma Garden girl says
Hi Mavis,
Ok, I’ve been reading your blog for a while, and I just got up the nerve to ask the produce girl if i could have some of the stuff they throw out (for my chickens). She said, yes, there were bins out back, and here, you might need some gloves. There is a lady who comes by before noon, but after that it’s first come, first serve. I got a box of cabbage, carrots and some other stuff. Fit for people, but I gave it to chickens. I feel empowered to do it again!
Thanks,
Sonoma Garden Girl
Mavis says
Way to go Sonoma Garden Girl. Send me your pictures and I’ll try and get them posted.