Food Waste is Hard to Deal With.

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Debate & Discussion > Food Waste is Hard to Deal With.

wateroverfire: Jul 3, 2010

Maybe we can move the derail in the Techbros thread here.

Food waste happens, but most of it happens where it's hard to deal with. France will mandate that unsold food be given away to charities by large stores. However, most food waste occurs at the consumer level. That is, people buy food then don't eat it.

From the article. posted:

The measures are part of wider drive to halve the amount of food waste in France by 2025. According to official estimates, the average French person throws out 20kg-30kg of food a year � 7kg of which is still in its wrapping. The combined national cost of this is up to �20bn.

Of the 7.1m tonnes of food wasted in France each year, 67% is binned by consumers, 15% by restaurants and 11% by shops. Each year 1.3bn tonnes of food are wasted worldwide.

The F�d�ration du Commerce et de la Distribution, which represents big supermarkets, criticised the plan. �The law is wrong in both target and intent, given the big stores represent only 5% of food waste but have these new obligations,� said Jacques Creyssel, head of the organisation. �They are already the pre-eminent food donors, with more than 4,500 stores having signed agreements with aid groups.�

A study by the USDA estimated roughly the same statistics for waste in the United States. (Hat tip to Discendo Vox. Get out of probie soon, bro)

quote:

In the United States, 31 percent�or 133 billion pounds�of the 430 billion pounds of the available food supply at the retail and consumer levels in 2010 went uneaten. Retail-level losses represented 10 percent (43 billion pounds) and consumer-level losses 21 percent (90 billion pounds) of the available food supply. (Losses on the farm and between the farm and retailer were not estimated due to data limitations for some of the food groups.)

The estimated total value of food loss at the retail and consumer levels in the United States was $161.6 billion in 2010. The top three food groups in terms of share of total value of food loss were meat, poultry, and fish (30 percent, $48 billion); vegetables (19 percent, $30 billion); and dairy products (17 percent, $27 billion). The total amount of food loss represents 387 billion calories (technically, we mean Calorie or kcal hereafter) of food not available for human consumption per day in 2010, or 1,249 out of 3,796 calories available per American per day. Recovery costs, food safety considerations, and other factors would reduce the amount of food that could actually be recovered for human consumption.

The study also reviewed the literature and found that food loss is economically efficient in some cases. There is a practical limit to how much food loss the United States or any other country could realistically prevent, reduce, or recover for human consumption given: (1) technical factors (e.g., the perishable nature of most foods, food safety, storage, and temperature considerations); (2) temporal and spatial factors (e.g., the time needed to deliver food to a new destination, and the dispersion of food loss among millions of households, food processing plants, and foodservice locations); (3) individual consumers� tastes, preferences, and food habits (e.g., throwing out milk left over in a bowl of cereal); and (4) economic factors (e.g., costs to recover and redirect uneaten food to another use).

The study estimates 31% of the available food supply in the US went uneaten - 21% at the consumer level and 10% at the retail level. That is to say, roughly 67% of food loss occurred at the consumer level.

Big stores are just not that big a part of the problem, comparatively. Which makes sense if you think about it, because they have every incentive to reduce the wastage eating into their profits. However, they're easy targets for scapegoating and the easiest source of waste to regulate.

ITT let's try to agree on the facts.

wateroverfire fucked around with this message at 18:48 on Mar 28, 2016

# ¿ Mar 23, 2016 15:04

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# ¿ May 16, 2024 07:09

wateroverfire: Jul 3, 2010

Spangly A posted:

No it doesn't, that's not how businesses work in the real world, it doesn't matter to them whether it feeds homeless/staff or goes into a bin, and breakages are an accounting feature.

It does matter to them whether they're spending money on goods they can't sell. Whether they care where the unsold goods go depends.

Here's an article in a series on food waste in which reporters talk to Patty Larson, executive director of Food Finders (a nonprofit that gets discarded food to charities), about why companies don't donate.

quote:

Patty Larson, the executive director of the "food rescue" group Food Finders explained to us why good food doesn't get to the hungry.

The first reason is liability. Many vendors mistakenly believe they'll get sued for providing food that gets somebody sick, even if they think that food is safe. The vendors may decide giving away their leftovers isn't worth the legal risk.

What these vendors may not know (or fully understand) is that in 1996, Congress passed the Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Act, thus protecting good faith food donors from civil and criminal liability. The law specifically protects individuals, corporations, wholesalers, caterers, farmers, restaurateurs, and others from liability for donating food in good faith.

�People are always so worried about someone getting sick, but its never been an issue for us,� said Larson.

The second issue is logistics. Stores often don�t have the space to store leftover food while they are waiting for agencies to pick it up. And food banks may not have the capacity to transport or properly store the food if it's highly perishable. Even worse, many stores don�t even know they should be donating their leftover food or where to donate it.

Organizations like Feeding America and Food Finders try to make it easier for vendors to donate food by acting as middlemen between food vendors like grocery stores, produce markets, restaurants, and hotels and food providers like food pantries, soup kitchens, and shelters.

Feeding America alone feeds 46 million Americans every year through its associated food banks and other organizations. Feeding America is the largest network of food banks of its kind. Food Finders, on the other hand, works locally in Los Angeles and Orange County, California to provide food to 270 agencies in the area.

Both Food Finders and Feeding America have partnerships with major grocery chains like Wal-Mart, Target, Kroger, and Trader Joe�s.

# ¿ Mar 23, 2016 15:53

wateroverfire: Jul 3, 2010

Mirthless posted:

Yes, the Business Insider is here to tell us why the free market can't spare the food they're throwing in the 100,000 dollar industrial trash compactor they keep out back that is the size of two shipping containers stacked on top of each other and more than big enough to hold an entire week worth of food

Actually it's the executive director of a non profit dedicated to rescuing food who is doing that.

# ¿ Mar 23, 2016 16:04

wateroverfire: Jul 3, 2010

Mirthless posted:

I mean for real though please explain how the administrative costs/storage space of food for the homeless is too much but the giant, expensive trash compactors that have become ubiquitous as a way to keep out the hungry are found behind every grocery store in America

Reading the articles would give you a good start.

# ¿ Mar 23, 2016 16:05

wateroverfire: Jul 3, 2010

ToxicSlurpee posted:

A rather significant amount of it is a mix of that and stuff that just wasn't sold. Supermarkets, restaurants, and whatever are expected to have everything in stock all the time so they overstock by default, knowing ahead of time they'll never sell all of it. The stuff they don't sell just goes in the garbage. Some places have been selling it as compost but you'll see things like pizza places throwing away entire stacks of perfectly edible pies and contaminating it so nobody can eat it.

The majority of food waste is at the consumer level. Almost 70%.

OwlFancier posted:

It is rather impractical to legislate that consumers have to give away their waste whereas it is much easier to legislate it from suppliers, and also suppliers are rich so they should do it anyway. The law is sensible.

The point is not that the law is sensible or not. The point is my god, D&D, please stop talking about food waste like it's a conspiracy to cackle at the poor and leave people starving, because it's not.

Helsing posted:

You know, you could always put half the loaf of bread in your freezer and then microwave / toast it when you want a sandwich.

Look at you assuming people have freezers! :smuggo:

# ¿ Mar 23, 2016 17:56

wateroverfire: Jul 3, 2010

OwlFancier posted:

I suppose that depends on whether you consider "conspiracy" to be relegated to active attempts to construct a state of affairs and merely perpetuating one as a series of consciously unrelated actions.

One is a conspiracy and the other isn't, yes.

OwlFancier posted:

That food is private property and is not simply given freely as needed, leading to people overbuying it and production being pegged to how much can be sold, not how much can be distributed, is maybe something that could change.

I don't know what this means.

You could cut down on waste by eliminating consumer choice and limiting individuals to X calories of pre-selected staples a week or something but holy poo poo is that not a place that anyone wants to go.

# ¿ Mar 23, 2016 18:37

wateroverfire: Jul 3, 2010

OwlFancier posted:

As in, it is really only a construct of our society that food isn't just produced and handed out for the asking, and that food production is not expanded to meet any increase in demand that would cause.

The problem is not really that food is wasted as much as food is wasted while others go hungry, because food is private property.

Oooooooookay.

# ¿ Mar 23, 2016 20:10

wateroverfire: Jul 3, 2010

Liberal_L33t posted:

There may be a grain of truth to this, but you are also discounting the considerable (and, to the working poor and the hectic middle class, extremely unpalatable) time costs of shopping for, buying and preparing 2 or 3 meals consisting entirely of fresh produce every day. I am actually quite sympathetic to the unspoken argument that these peoples' time would be better used watching television, or whatever other sedentary entertainment which the tsk-tsking advocates of "slow food" would sneer at. If, hypothetically speaking, someone obsessively spends 2 hours a day cooking for themselves with fresh, healthy ingredients but takes up smoking cigarettes as a side effect of the increased stress and time pressure, are they actually better off?

It's not that hard to spend an hour cooking twice a week and have tasty food through the week with a little planning, though.

Like...cooking does not have to be this big stressful time drain even if you don't enjoy it.

# ¿ Mar 23, 2016 20:12

wateroverfire: Jul 3, 2010

OwlFancier posted:

Currently, you work, you receive a portion of the product of your work as money, and that money is traded in exchagne for food so you can work.

Instead, perhaps it would work better if you were given food, and a portion of the product of the work you do after being fed goes to produce more food. Then you can eat regardless.

How is that not merely a semantic difference?

# ¿ Mar 23, 2016 20:20

wateroverfire: Jul 3, 2010

wateroverfire posted:

How is that not merely a semantic difference?

To restate it a little. Is it...

I work ----> I earn money ----> I use that money to buy food I want

vs

Food is provided to me -------> I work --------> Money is taken from me to pay for producing the food I was provided?

# ¿ Mar 23, 2016 20:25

wateroverfire: Jul 3, 2010

Helsing posted:

I'm honestly pretty confident that after some transition costs you and just about anyone would be better off watching less TV and eating more meals they prepared themselves with fresh produce. There's something supremely goony about a post that amounts to "maybe I'm better off eating disgusting cheesy poo poo because it gives me more time to also watch television."

You can cook a big big meal and keep it frozen or in your fridge for many days. Food prepared with fresh produce can last a long time if you actually learn how to cook.

Pro-tier home cooks can even prepare meals while watching TV.

Makes you think.

# ¿ Mar 23, 2016 20:26

wateroverfire: Jul 3, 2010

OwlFancier posted:

Run it off nuclear power, and consider doing the same thing to the energy grid while you're at it?

Do you believe that resource constraints are a thing, or are they a conspiracy of the capitalist oppressor?

# ¿ Mar 23, 2016 23:31

wateroverfire: Jul 3, 2010

PT6A posted:

The fact that supermarket food waste is a bigger source of waste than personal food waste is no excuse to behave as a loving child that can't be bothered to cook for yourself.

Just to reiterate since it's in the OP..

Supermarket food waste is not a bigger source of waste than personal food waste. In aggregate, personal waste accounts for about 70% of wastage and supermarket waste about 10% if you include smaller markets. Large supermarkets represent like 5%.

There are ongoing programs run by governments, ngos, and the supermarket chains themselves, to increase donations of foods that would otherwise be wasted.

It is entirely appropriate to talk about personal food waste. A 10% decrease in food wastage at a personal level has 7 times the impact of a 10% decrease in wastage at the distribution level.

# ¿ Mar 24, 2016 13:38

wateroverfire: Jul 3, 2010

falcon2424 posted:

Agreed. Home-cooking is hugely inefficient.

If we did stuff at scale, we'd massively reduce packaging materials, prep time, and waste from mis-estimation.

Convincing consumers to give up some degree of choice would solve a lot of allocation problems but would it make us per se better off?

# ¿ Mar 24, 2016 13:43

wateroverfire: Jul 3, 2010

Discendo Vox posted:

Got a source for that?

~~It's~~ The source is in the OP.

# ¿ Mar 24, 2016 16:05

wateroverfire: Jul 3, 2010

Discendo Vox posted:

That source says nothing about anything you are claiming, unless I missed something and this thread has been about France. Try this one from the ERS instead.

Here's the most relevant parts of the summary.

Cool source with data from the US. thanks.

If 21% of food purchased is lost at the consumer level and 10% at the retail level, those statistics are consistent with the French figures.

# ¿ Mar 24, 2016 20:24

wateroverfire: Jul 3, 2010

Added USDA study to the OP.

Good god, I go away from a weekend and things go to poo poo.

blowfish posted:

This. If it were profitable to sell extra food to poor people or starving third worlders, there would already be companies lining up to do so.

A lot of extra food is given to poor people (or agencies that distribute it to poor people, anyway) already, by a variety of organizations.

For instance, over 4000 organizations participate in the USDA's U.S. Food Waste Challenge.

Below is a partial list.

quote:

5280 Produce, Denver, CO
Donates wholesome unsold food through We Don�t Wasteexternal link
7-Eleven, Eastpointe, MI
Donates wholesome unsold food to Forgotten Harvest, Oak Park, MI
A&L Potato Company, Grand Forks, MN
Donates wholesome unsold food to North Country Food Bank, Inc., Crookston, MN
Abundant Foods, Denver, CO
Donates wholesome unsold food through We Don�t Wasteexternal link
Ace Eat Serve, Denver, CO
Donates wholesome unsold food through We Don�t Wasteexternal link
Adobe Gila's, Rosemont, IL
Participates in commercial compost program & recognized by Illinois Food Scraps Coalition's We Compost
Advantage Waypoint, Aurora, CO
Donates wholesome unsold food through We Don�t Wasteexternal link
Albertons (Albertson's/Safeway = 2,230 stores)
Aldi Inc. Springfield Division, Springfield, OH
Donates wholesome unsold food to multiple food banks in Ohio & West Virginia
Alfalfa's Market, Boulder, CO
Altamira Specialy Foods, Denver, CO
Donates wholesome unsold food through We Don�t Wasteexternal link
Antique Coach and Carriage, Chicago, IL
Participates in commercial compost program and recognized by Illinois Food Scraps Coalition's We Compost
Aramark � Philadelphia, PA external link
Aramark--Avalanche, Denver, CO
Donates wholesome unsold food through We Don�t Wasteexternal link
Aramark--Coors Field, Denver, CO
Donates wholesome unsold food through We Don�t Wasteexternal link
Aramark--Nuggets, Denver, CO
Donates wholesome unsold food through We Don�t Wasteexternal link
Aramark-Dick's Sporting Goods Park, Commerce City, CO
Donates wholesome unsold food through We Don�t Wasteexternal link
Artisanal Wilmette, Wilmette, IL
Participates in commercial compost program and recognized by Illinois Food Scraps Coalition's We Compost
Ashland Super One Foods, Ashland, WI
Donates wholesome unsold food to Second Harvest Northern Lakes Food Bankexternal link
Bake Fresh of Colorado, LLC, Commerce City, CO
Donates wholesome unsold food through We Don�t Wasteexternal link
Balena Restaurant, Chicago, IL
Participates in commercial compost program and recognized by Illinois Food Scraps Coalition's We Compost
Bebo Naturals, Hilliard, OH
Donates wholesome unsold food to Mid-Ohio Foodbankexternal link
Belli�s Local Foods Market, Chicago, IL
Participates in commercial compost program and recognized by Illinois Food Scraps Coalition's We Compost
Big Delicious Planet, Chicago, IL
Participates in commercial compost program and recognized by Illinois Food Scraps Coalition's We Compost
Big Fat Cupcakes, Denver, CO
Donates wholesome unsold food through We Don�t Wasteexternal link
Big Red Tomato, Fort Pierce, FL
Donates wholesome unsold food to Treasure Coast Food Bankexternal link
Bistro Boys Catering, Denver, CO
Donates wholesome unsold food through We Don�t Wasteexternal link
BJs Wholesale Club, Ithaca, NY
Donates wholesome unsold food through Friendships Recovery Networkexternal link
BJs Wholesale Club, Westborough, MA
Donates wholesome unsold food to food banks.
Blind Faith Caf�, Evanston, IL
Participates in commercial compost program and recognized by Illinois Food Scraps Coalition's We Compost
Blood Of The Lamb, Las Vegas, NV
Donates wholesome unsold food to Three Square Food Bankexternal link
Blue Man Group, Chicago, IL
Participates in commercial compost program and recognized by Illinois Food Scraps Coalition's We Compost
Blue Point Bakery, Denver, CO
Donates wholesome unsold food through We Don�t Wasteexternal link
Boca Grande Farmers Market
Bogopa LIC, Inc., New York, NY
Donates wholesome unsold food to City Harvest New Yorkexternal link
Bon App�tit Management Company, Portland, OR
Boulder Brands, Henderson, CO
Donates wholesome unsold food through We Don�t Wasteexternal link
Buen Apetito, Chicago, IL
Participates in commercial compost program and recognized by Illinois Food Scraps Coalition's We Compost
Buzz Caf�, Oak Park, IL
Participates in commercial compost program and recognized by Illinois Food Scraps Coalition's We Compost
Cantigny Golf, Wheaton, IL
Participates in commercial compost program and recognized by Illinois Food Scraps Coalition's We Compost
Cargill
The Great Corn Rescue
Carolina Hurricanes, National Hockey League Team
Donates wholesome unsold food through Rock and Wrap it Up! external link
Catch 35, Chicago, IL
Participates in commercial compost program and recognized by Illinois Food Scraps Coalition's We Compost
Catering by Design, Denver, CO
Donates wholesome unsold food through We Don�t Wasteexternal link
Catering by Michael�s, Morton Grove, IL
Participates in commercial compost program and recognized by Illinois Food Scraps Coalition's We Compost
Centerplate at Sports Authority Mile High, Denver, CO
Donates wholesome unsold food through We Don�t Wasteexternal link
Centerplate at the Denver Convention Center, Denver, CO
Donates wholesome unsold food through We Don�t Wasteexternal link
Centerplate Folsom Field, Boulder, CO
Donates wholesome unsold food through We Don�t Wasteexternal link
Centro de Adoraci�n Familiar, Las Vegas, NV
Donates wholesome unsold food to Three Square Food Bankexternal link
Chaos Brew Club, Chicago, IL
Participates in commercial compost program and recognized by Illinois Food Scraps Coalition's We Compost
Chefs� Produce Co., Houston, TX
Donates wholesome unsold food to Houston Food Bankexternal link
Chelsea Catering United Airlines, Houston, TX
Donates wholesome unsold food to Houston Food Bankexternal link
Chipotle � Ithaca, NY
Donates wholesome unsold food through Friendships Recovery Networkexternal link
Christina's Home Childcare, West Boylston, MA
Ciara Dawn LLC/7-11 Store, Denver, CO
Donates wholesome unsold food through We Don�t Wasteexternal link
City Fresh Market, Chicago, IL
Participates in commercial compost program and recognized by Illinois Food Scraps Coalition's We Compost
Coca-Cola Refreshments, Pittston, PA
Donates wholesome unsold food to H & J Weinberg NE PA Regional Food Bank, Wilkes Barre, PA
Colorful Ranch, Denver, CO
Donates wholesome unsold food through We Don�t Wasteexternal link
Columbus Blue Jackets, National Hockey League Team
Donates wholesome unsold food through Rock and Wrap it Up! external link
ConAgra Foods
Reduce Waste Generated by at lest 1 billion pounds by 2020
Coosemans-Denver, Inc., Denver, CO
Donates wholesome unsold food through We Don�t Wasteexternal link
Community Harvest of Stark County
Prepared and Perishable Food Rescue Program
Cornell Catering, Ithaca, NY
Donates wholesome unsold food through Friendships Recovery Networkexternal link
Cornell Dairy Store, Ithaca, NY
Donates wholesome unsold food through Friendships Recovery Networkexternal link
Cornell Orchards, Ithaca, NY
Donates wholesome unsold food through Friendships Recovery Network external link
Costco Business Center, Las Vegas, NV
Donates wholesome unsold food to Three Square Food Bankexternal link
Crystal Creamery, Modesto, CA
DALTA, Denver, CO
Donates wholesome unsold food through We Don�t Wasteexternal link
Dawn Food Products, Inc., Denver, CO
Donates wholesome unsold food through We Don�t Wasteexternal link
Defense Commisary Agency, Charleston, SC
Donates wholesome unsold food to Lowcountry Food Bank, Charleston, SC
Dental Professionals of Evanston, Evanston, IL
Participates in commercial compost program and recognized by Illinois Food Scraps Coalition's We Compost
Denver Athletic Club, Denver, CO
Donates wholesome unsold food through We Don�t Wasteexternal link
Denver Botanic Gardens, Denver, CO
Donates wholesome unsold food through We Don�t Wasteexternal link
Denver Bread Company, Denver, CO
Donates wholesome unsold food through We Don�t Wasteexternal link
Denver Rescue Mission, Denver, CO
Donates wholesome unsold food through We Don�t Wasteexternal link
Denver Yard Harvest, Denver, CO
Donates wholesome unsold food through We Don�t Wasteexternal link
Dill Pickle Food Co-Op, Chicago, IL
Participates in commercial compost program and recognized by Illinois Food Scraps Coalition's We Compost
Dirtt, Chicago, IL
Participates in commercial compost program and recognized by Illinois Food Scraps Coalition's We Compost
DO&CO New York Catering Inc., New York, NY
Donates wholesome unsold food to City Harvest New Yorkexternal link
Dr. Pepper Snapple Group, Cranberry Township, PA
Donates wholesome unsold food toGreater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank, Duquesne, PA
Duke�s Alehouse & Kitchen, Crystal Lake, IL
Participates in commercial compost program and recognized by Illinois Food Scraps Coalition's We Compost
Duluth Entertainment Convention Center, Duluth, MN
Donates wholesome unsold food to Second Harvest Northern Lakes Food Bankexternal link
Eataly, Chicago, IL
Participates in commercial compost program and recognized by Illinois Food Scraps Coalition's We Compost
Eban's Bakehouse, Grove City, OH
Donates wholesome unsold food to Mid-Ohio Foodbankexternal link
Eileen's Colossal Cookies, Highlands, CO
Donates wholesome unsold food through We Don�t Wasteexternal link
Einstein Bros Bagels, Lakewood, CO
Donates wholesome unsold food through We Don�t Wasteexternal link
Ela Family Farms, Hotchkiss, CO
Donates wholesome unsold food through We Don�t Wasteexternal link
ELAI, Niagara Falls, NY
Donates wholesome unsold food to the Food Bank of Western New Yorkexternal link
Elevated Catering, Denver, CO
Donates wholesome unsold food through We Don�t Wasteexternal link
Entertaining Company, Chicago, IL
Participates in commercial compost program and recognized by Illinois Food Scraps Coalition's We Compost
Epicurean Culinary Group, Centennial, CO
Donates wholesome unsold food through We Don�t Wasteexternal link
Exdo Event Center, Denver, CO
Donates wholesome unsold food through We Don�t Wasteexternal link
Explorer Caf�, Chicago, IL
Participates in commercial compost program and recognized by Illinois Food Scraps Coalition's We Compost
Fairway Market, New York = 7 locations
Famous Dave's BBQ, Denver, CO
Donates wholesome unsold food through We Don�t Wasteexternal link
Fermilab, Batavia, IL
Participates in commercial compost program and recognized by Illinois Food Scraps Coalition's We Compost
Fig Catering, Chicago, IL
Participates in commercial compost program and recognized by Illinois Food Scraps Coalition's We Compost
Five Roses Pub � Irish Food & Music House, Rosemont, IL
Participates in commercial compost program and recognized by Illinois Food Scraps Coalition's We Compost
Flichia Wholesale Dist., Columbus, OH
Donates wholesome unsold food to Mid-Ohio Foodbankexternal link
Food Bank of the Rockies, Denver, CO
Donates wholesome unsold food through We Don�t Wasteexternal link
Food For Thought, Lincolnwood, IL
Participates in commercial compost program and recognized by Illinois Food Scraps Coalition's We Compost
Food Emporium, New York= 13 locations
Food Lyon, Salisburg, NC
Donates wholesome unsold food to Lowcountry Food Bank, Carleston, SC
Food Physics & Body Dynamics, LLC, Wilmington, NC
Donates wholesome unsold food to the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolinaexternal linkexternal link
FoodPlay Productions, Hatfield, MA
Donates wholesome unsold food to the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts, Hatfield, MAexternal link
Food Waste Reduction Alliance
(Food Marketing Institute, Grocery Manufacturers of America, National Restaurant Association)
Reduce, Recover, Recycle
Footers Catering, Denver, CO
Donates wholesome unsold food through We Don�t Wasteexternal link
Ford's Produce Co., Inc., Raleigh, NC
Donates wholesome unsold food to Inter-Faith Food Shuttle, Raleigh, NC
General Mills
Reduce solid waste generation by 50% from 2005 � 2015
Gigi's Cupcakes, Denver, CO
Donates wholesome unsold food through We Don�t Wasteexternal link
Gill Onions, LLC and Rio Farms, LLC
Converting Onion Waste
Glazed and Confuzed Donuts, Denver, CO
Donates wholesome unsold food through We Don�t Wasteexternal link
GMAK Capital, Mesa, AZ
Donates wholesome unsold food to United Food Bankexternal link
Goose Island Beer Company, Chicago, IL
Participates in commercial compost program and recognized by Illinois Food Scraps Coalition's We Compost
Gourmet Fine Catering, Denver, CO
Donates wholesome unsold food through We Don�t Wasteexternal link
Gourmet To Go, Denver, CO
Donates wholesome unsold food through We Don�t Wasteexternal link
Grand Central Oyster Bar, New York, NY
Donates wholesome unsold food to City Harvest New Yorkexternal link
Great Northern Tavern & Brewery, Denver, CO
Donates wholesome unsold food through We Don�t Wasteexternal link
Greenhouse Loft, Chicago, IL
Participates in commercial compost program and recognized by Illinois Food Scraps Coalition's We Compost
Green Spirit Living, Chicago, IL
Participates in commercial compost program and recognized by Illinois Food Scraps Coalition's We Compost
GreenStar Natural Foods Market, Ithaca, NY
Donates wholesome unsold food through Friendships Recovery Network external link
Grower's Organic, Denver, CO
Donates wholesome unsold food through We Don�t Wasteexternal link
Hamburger Mary�s, Chicago, IL
Participates in commercial compost program and recognized by Illinois Food Scraps Coalition's We Compost
Hannaford Supermarket, MA, ME, NH, NY, VT = 224 stores
Hannah�s Bretzel, Chicago, IL
Participates in commercial compost program and recognized by Illinois Food Scraps Coalition's We Compost
Happy Cakes, Denver, CO
Donates wholesome unsold food through We Don�t Wasteexternal link
Hardrock Cafe, Denver, CO
Donates wholesome unsold food through We Don�t Wasteexternal link
Harris Teeter, Matthew, NC
Donates wholesome unsold food to food banks
Heartland Cafe, Chicago, IL
Donates wholesome unsold food to
Participates in commercial compost program and recognized by Illinois Food Scraps Coalition's We Compost
HEB, Houston, TX
Donates wholesome unsold food to Houston Food Bankexternal link
Hofbr�uhaus Chicago, Rosemont, IL
Participates in commercial compost program and recognized by Illinois Food Scraps Coalition's We Compost
Home Fresh Sandwich & Bakery, Inc, Denver, CO
Donates wholesome unsold food through We Don�t Wasteexternal link
Hoosier Mama Pie Company, Chicago, IL
Participates in commercial compost program and recognized by Illinois Food Scraps Coalition's We Compost
Howley Bread Company, dba Panera Bread (RI, CT, MA) = 28 locations
i-25 Productions, Castle Rock, CO
Donates wholesome unsold food through We Don�t Wasteexternal link
Indie Cafe, Chicago, IL
Participates in commercial compost program and recognized by Illinois Food Scraps Coalition's We Compost
Ingather, Denver, CO
Donates wholesome unsold food through We Don�t Wasteexternal link
Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy
Dairy Power� - Food Waste Repurposing to Renewable Energy and Nutrients
Ithaca Bakery, Ithaca, NY
Donates wholesome unsold food through Friendships Recovery Network external link
John G. Shedd Aquarium, Chicago, IL
Participates in commercial compost program and recognized by Illinois Food Scraps Coalition's We Compost
Juice Press, New York, NY = 12 stores
Julius Meinl, Chicago, IL = 2 locations
Participates in commercial compost program and recognized by Illinois Food Scraps Coalition's We Compost
Katherine Anne Confections, Chicago, IL
Participates in commercial compost program and recognized by Illinois Food Scraps Coalition's We Compost
Kellogg Company
Reduce, Recover, Recycle
Kings Bowl, Rosemont, IL
Participates in commercial compost program and recognized by Illinois Food Scraps Coalition's We Compost
King's Food Products, Belleville, IL
Donates wholesome unsold food to St. Louis Area Foodbankexternal link
King Soopers/Exposition, Denver, CO
Donates wholesome unsold food through We Don�t Wasteexternal link
KM Concessions, Inc., Denver, CO
Donates wholesome unsold food through We Don�t Wasteexternal link
La Guli Pastry Shop, New York, NY
Donates wholesome unsold food to City Harvest New Yorkexternal link
Latin Specialties LLC, Houston, TX
Donates wholesome unsold food to Houston Food Bank, Houston, TX
Le Pain Quotidien, New York, NY = 21 stores
Levy Restaurants, Denver, CO
Donates wholesome unsold food through We Don�t Wasteexternal link
Life Styles Catering, Lakewood, CO
Donates wholesome unsold food through We Don�t Wasteexternal link
Limehouse Produce Co., North Charleston, SC
Donates wholesome unsold food to Lowcountry Food Bank, Sharleston, SC
Local Root, Chicago, IL
Participates in commercial compost program and recognized by Illinois Food Scraps Coalition's We Compost
Luke's a Steak Place, Wheat Ridge, CO
Donates wholesome unsold food through We Don�t Wasteexternal link
Maines Food & Party Warehouse, Binghamton, NY
Donates wholesome unsold food through Friendships Recovery Network external link
Margaret Palca Bakes, New York, NY
Donates wholesome unsold food to City Harvest New Yorkexternal link
Marion Street Cheese Market, Oak Park, IL
Participates in commercial compost program and recognized by Illinois Food Scraps Coalition's We Compost
Marriott SpringHill Suites, Denver, CO
Donates wholesome unsold food through We Don�t Wasteexternal link
May Trucking Co., Denver, CO
Donates wholesome unsold food through We Don�t Wasteexternal link
MB Financial Park, Rosemont, IL
Participates in commercial compost program and recognized by Illinois Food Scraps Coalition's We Compost
McClure's Pickles, Detroit, MI
Donates wholesome unsold food to Forgotten Harvest, City Harvest New York, & Gleaners Community Food Bank of Southeastern Michiganexternal link
McDonald's Restaurants of Hawaii = 72 restaurants
Merage & Allon Hillel Center @ DU, Denver, CO
Donates wholesome unsold food through We Don�t Wasteexternal link
Metro Care Ring, Denver, CO
Donates wholesome unsold food through We Don�t Waste
Milwaukee Brewers, Major League Baseball Team
Donate wholesome unsold food through Rock and Wrap it Up! external link
MM Local, Boulder, CO
Donates wholesome unsold food through We Don�t Wasteexternal link
Moe's Bagels, Denver, CO
Donates wholesome unsold food through We Don�t Wasteexternal link
NBC Universal
Donates wholesome leftover food through Rock and Wrap it Up! external link
NestFresh, Denver, CO
Donates wholesome unsold food through We Don�t Wasteexternal link
Oatworks, New York, NY
Donates wholesome unsold food to City Harvest New Yorkexternal link
OccasionsCatering, Denver, CO
Donates wholesome unsold food through We Don�t Wasteexternal link
Old Major, Denver, CO
Donates wholesome unsold food through We Don�t Wasteexternal link
Omega Marketing, Denver, CO
Donates wholesome unsold food through We Don�t Wasteexternal link
Onion Pub & Brewery, Lake Barrington, IL
Participates in commercial compost program and recognized by Illinois Food Scraps Coalition's We Compost
Ovie Bar and Grill, Chicago, IL
Participates in commercial compost program and recognized by Illinois Food Scraps Coalition's We Compost
Palm Restaurant, Denver, CO
Donates wholesome unsold food through We Don�t Wasteexternal link
Panera Bread -- Bakery Cafe, New York = 8 locations
P&C Fresh, Ithaca, NY
Donates wholesome unsold food through Friendships Recovery Network external link
Perennial Virant, Chicago, IL
Participates in commercial compost program and recognized by Illinois Food Scraps Coalition's We Compost
Philadelphia Flyers, National Hockey League Team
Donates wholesome unsold food through Rock and Wrap it Up! external link
Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, Washington, DC
Piggly Wiggly Carolina Company, Summerville, SC
Donates wholesome unsold food to Lowcountry Food Bank, Charleston, SC
Portland Fruit Tree Project, Portland, OR
Donates wholesome unsold food to Oregon Food Bank, Portland, OR
Premium Waters, Inc., Greenville, TN
Donates wholesome unsold food to Second Harvest Food Bank of Northeast Tennessee, Kingsport, TN
Preston Cafe & Grill, Chicago, IL
Participates in commercial compost program and recognized by Illinois Food Scraps Coalition's We Compost
Pret A Manger, New York, NY = 39 stores
Project Angel Heart, Denver, CO
Donates wholesome unsold food through We Don�t Wasteexternal link
Publix Super Markets, Inc., Lakeland, FL external link
Pure Kitchen Catering, Chicago, IL
Participates in commercial compost program and recognized by Illinois Food Scraps Coalition's We Compost
Putney Food Co-op, Putney, VT
Q Center, St. Charles, IL
Participates in commercial compost program and recognized by Illinois Food Scraps Coalition's We Compost
Quince, Evanston, IL
Participates in commercial compost program and recognized by Illinois Food Scraps Coalition's We Compost
Ready Care Industries, Inc. , Aurora, CO
Donates wholesome unsold food through We Don�t Wasteexternal link
Regional Access, Ithaca, NY
Donates wholesome unsold food through Friendships Recovery Network external link
Relish Catering & Events, Lakewood, CO
Donates wholesome unsold food through We Don�t Wasteexternal link
Renegade Foods, Denver, CO
Donates wholesome unsold food through We Don�t Wasteexternal link
Ron Ben-Israel Cakes, New York, NY
Donates wholesome unsold food to City Harvest New Yorkexternal link
Rose Medical Center, Denver, CO
Donates wholesome unsold food through We Don�t Wasteexternal link
Rosenberg's Bagels, Denver, CO
Donates wholesome unsold food through We Don�t Wasteexternal link
Rush Oak Park Hospital, Oak Park, IL
Participates in commercial compost program and recognized by Illinois Food Scraps Coalition's We Compost
Rustle + Roux, Chicago, IL
Participates in commercial compost program and recognized by Illinois Food Scraps Coalition's We Compost
Safeway (Albertson's/Safeway = 2,230 stores)
Safeway/6th & Corona, Denver, CO
Donates wholesome unsold food through We Don�t Wasteexternal link
Sage Hospitality, Denver, CO
Donates wholesome unsold food through We Don�t Wasteexternal link
Sandwich Me In, Chicago, IL
Participates in commercial compost program and recognized by Illinois Food Scraps Coalition's We Compost
Sam's Club, North Las Vegas, NV
Donates wholesome unsold food to Three Square Food Bankexternal link
Scales Pharmacy, Denver, CO
Donates wholesome unsold food through We Don�t Wasteexternal link
SCRATCHbread, New York, NY
Donates wholesome unsold food to City Harvest New Yorkexternal link
Sea Island Resort, Sea Island, GA
Seattle Fish Company, Denver, CO
Donates wholesome unsold food through We Don�t Wasteexternal link
Seven Generations Ahead, Oak Park, IL
Participates in commercial compost program and recognized by Illinois Food Scraps Coalition's We Compost
Shearton Denver Downtown, Denver, CO
Donates wholesome unsold food through We Don�t Wasteexternal link
Silverstein Properties, Inc., New York, NY
Donates wholesome unsold food to City Harvest New Yorkexternal link
Sky Zone, Lewis Center, OH
Donates wholesome unsold food to Mid-Ohio Foodbankexternal link
Smith�s Food and Drug, Las Vegas, NV
Donates wholesome unsold food to Three Square Food Bankexternal link
Smith�s Food and Drug, Henderson, NV
Donates wholesome unsold food to Three Square Food Bankexternal link
Smith�s Food & Drug, Las Vegas, NV
Donates wholesome unsold food to Three Square Food Bankexternal link
Sodexo-Wellpoint, Lakewood, CO
Donates wholesome unsold food through We Don�t Wasteexternal link
Sony Pictures Entertainment
Donate wholesome leftover food through Rock and Wrap it Up! external link
Sparta Foods, Denver, CO
Donates wholesome unsold food through We Don�t Wasteexternal link
Steven Roberts Original Desserts, Denver, CO
Donates wholesome unsold food through We Don�t Wasteexternal link
Sullivan Street Bakery, New York, NY
Donates wholesome unsold food to City Harvest New Yorkexternal link
Support Memphis Football Group, Memphis, TN
Donates wholesome unsold food to Mid-South Food Bankexternal link
Sustainable America, Stemford, CT
Sysco Foods-Denver, Denver, CO
Donates wholesome unsold food through We Don�t Wasteexternal link
Taddonio Family Foundation, Denver, CO
Donates wholesome unsold food through We Don�t Wasteexternal link
Target, Las Vegas, NV
Donates wholesome unsold food to Three Square Food Bankexternal link
The Blackstone Group, New York, NY
Donates wholesome unsold food to City Harvest New Yorkexternal link
The Chopping Block, Chicago, IL
Participates in commercial compost program and recognized by Illinois Food Scraps Coalition's We Compost
The Field Bistro, Chicago, IL
Participates in commercial compost program and recognized by Illinois Food Scraps Coalition's We Compost
The Field Museum, Chicago, IL
Participates in commercial compost program and recognized by Illinois Food Scraps Coalition's We Compost
The H.T. Hackney Co., Gahanna, OH
Donates wholesome unsold food to Mid-Ohio Foodbankexternal link
The Morton Arboretum � The Ginkgo Restaurant, Lisle, IL
Participates in commercial compost program and recognized by Illinois Food Scraps Coalition's We Compost
Three Tomatoes Catering, Denver, CO
Donates wholesome unsold food through We Don�t Wasteexternal link
Toby Keith�s I Love This Bar and Grill, Rosemont, IL
Participates in commercial compost program and recognized by Illinois Food Scraps Coalition's We Compost
Tom Cat Bakery, New York, NY
Donates wholesome unsold food to City Harvest New Yorkexternal link
Tony Rosacci's Fine Catering, Centennial,CO
Donates wholesome unsold food through We Don�t Wasteexternal link
Tops Supermarkets, Ithaca, NY
Donates wholesome unsold food through Friendships Recovery Network external link
Uncommon Ground, Chicago, IL = 2 locations
Participates in commercial compost program and recognized by Illinois Food Scraps Coalition's We Compost
Unilever
Zero Food Waste Going to Landfill from 22 Plants and Headquarters
Reducing Waste in Our Agricultural Supply Chain
Engaging Consumers and Customers to Reduce Food Waste
United States Navy, Corpus Christi, TX
Donates wholesome unsold food to The Food Bank of Corpus Christiexternal link
Vie Restaurant, Western Springs, IL
Participates in commercial compost program and recognized by Illinois Food Scraps Coalition's We Compost
Wakefern Food Corporation
Walgreens, Evanston, IL
Participates in commercial compost program and recognized by Illinois Food Scraps Coalition's We Compost
Walmart, Bentonville, AR
Donates wholesome unsold food to food banks
Walmart, Kingsville, TX
Donates wholesome unsold food to The Food Bank of Corpus Christiexternal link
Walmart, Port St. Lucie, FL
Donates wholesome unsold food to Treasure Coast Food Bankexternal link
Walmart,, Surfside Beach, SC
Donates wholesome unsold food to Lowcountry Food Bank, Charleston, SC
Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc.
Donates wholesome leftover food through Rock and Wrap it Up! external link
Washington Capitals, National Hockey League Team
Donates wholesome unsold food through Rock and Wrap it Up! external link
Waxie Sanitary Supply, Denver, CO
Donates wholesome unsold food through We Don�t Wasteexternal link
Webb deVlam, Chicago, IL
Participates in commercial compost program and recognized by Illinois Food Scraps Coalition's We Compost
Wegmans, Ithaca, NY
Donates wholesome unsold food through Friendships Recovery Network external link
Wegmans � Rochester, NY external link
Sustainable America, Stamford, CT
Wegmans's, Rochester, NY
Westin Denver Downtown, Denver, CO
Donates wholesome unsold food through We Don�t Wasteexternal link
Whole Foods Co-Op, Duluth, MN
Donates wholesome unsold food to Second Harvest Northern Lakes Food Bankexternal link
Whole Foods S. Washington St., Denver, CO
Donates wholesome unsold food through We Don�t Wasteexternal link
Whole Foods Market, Colorado Blvd., Glendale, CO
Donates wholesome unsold food through We Don�t Wasteexternal link
Whole Foods,-Cherry Creek, Denver, CO
Donates wholesome unsold food through We Don�t Wasteexternal link
Winn Dixie, FL = 8 locations
Wyandot Snacks, Marion, OH
Donates wholesome unsold food to Mid-Ohio Foodbankexternal link
Yard House, Denver, CO
Donates wholesome unsold food through We Don�t Wasteexternal link
Yours Truly Cupcake, Denver, CO
Donates wholesome unsold food through We Don�t Wasteexternal link
Zullo�s Inc., Chicago, IL
Participates in commercial compost program and recognized by Illinois Food Scraps Coalition's We Compost

Universities and Colleges

ACRES Student Farm - University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY
Benedictine University, Lisle, IL
Participates in commercial compost program and recognized by Illinois Food Scraps Coalition's We Compost
Boston University, Boston, MA
Campus Kitchens Project, Multiple Locations = 38 schools
Central Michigan University
Zero Waste in Campus Dining
Chartwells at Lamar University, Vidor, TX
City College of San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
College of Charleston
Campus Organics Recovery
Columbia College, Chicago, IL
Participates in commercial compost program and recognized by Illinois Food Scraps Coalition's We Compost
DePaul University Student Center, Chicago, IL
Participates in commercial compost program and recognized by Illinois Food Scraps Coalition's We Compost
Food Recovery Network = 84 members
Kendall College, Chicago, IL
Participates in commercial compost program and recognized by Illinois Food Scraps Coalition's We Compost
Lewis & Clark Community College, Godfrey, IL
Participates in commercial compost program and recognized by Illinois Food Scraps Coalition's We Compost
Loyola University, Chicago, IL
Participates in commercial compost program and recognized by Illinois Food Scraps Coalition's We Compost
Luther College, Decorah, Iowa
Metro State University of Denver, Denver, CO
Donates wholesome unsold food through We Don�t Wasteexternal link
North Central College, Naperville, IL
Participates in commercial compost program and recognized by Illinois Food Scraps Coalition's We Compost
Northestern State University, Tahlequah, OK
Principia College, Elsah, IL
Participates in commercial compost program and recognized by Illinois Food Scraps Coalition's We Compost
Pulaski Technical College, Little Rock, AR
Roosevelt University Dining Services, Chicago, IL
Participates in commercial compost program and recognized by Illinois Food Scraps Coalition's We Compost
San Jose State University/Spartan Shops, San Jose, CA
School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL
Participates in commercial compost program and recognized by Illinois Food Scraps Coalition's We Compost
St. Matthews Episcopal Church � The Green Team, Evanston, IL
Participates in commercial compost program and recognized by Illinois Food Scraps Coalition's We Compost
University of Arizona Compost Cats, Tucson, AZ
University of California - Riverside, Riverside, CA
University of Colorado-Anschutz Medical Center, Aurora, CO
Donates wholesome unsold food through We Don�t Waste
University of Missouri- Kansas City (UMKC)
Composting and Food Waste Reduction ProgramI
University of Minnesota Duluth Dining Services, Duluth, MN
Donates wholesome unsold food to Second Harvest Northern Lakes Food Bank
University of North Texas
Waste Free UNT: Feed People, Not Landfills
University of Oregon
Zero Waste Program
University of Texas, The Michael & Susan Dell Center for Healthy Living
Michael & Susan Dell Center for Healthy Living's Food Waste Challenge

Counties

Franklin County Courthouse and Correctional Centers, Franklin County, OH
King County, Washington
Ramsey County, MN
Orange County Sheriff's Department, Orange, CA

State Government Agencies

Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection (DEEP)

K-12 Schools

Academy for Global Citizenship, Chicago, IL
Participates in commercial compost program and recognized by Illinois Food Scraps Coalition's We Compost
Alexander Valley School - Healdsburg, CA
Ashlawn Elementary School - Arlington, VA
Food Bus
Bendle Public Schools, Burton, MI = 2 schools
Boulder Valley School District - CO = 25 schools
Carmel Clay School District - Carmel, IN = 5 schools
Chesterbrook Elementary School - McLean, VA
Works with Food Bus to donate wholesome unsold food to local food pantries.
Chisago Lakes School District, Lindstrom, MN = 4 schools
Crown Point Community School Corporation - Crown Point, IN
Dallas Independent School District = 227 schools
Works with Food Bus to donate wholesome unsold food to local food pantries.
Gesher Jewish Day School - Fairfax, VA
Works with Food Bus to donate wholesome unsold food to local food pantries.
Glebe Elementary School - Arlington, VA
Works with Food Bus to donate wholesome unsold food to local food pantries.
Greeley School - Winnetka, IL
Participates in commercial compost program and recognized by Illinois Food Scraps Coalition's We Compost
Greenfield Elementary Schools - Fairfield, MT
Gregori High School - Modesto, CA
Haycock Elementary School - Falls Church, VA
Works with Food Bus to donate wholesome unsold food to local food pantries.
Homewood Middle School - Homewood, AL
Hubbard Woods Elementary School - Winnetka, IL
Participates in commercial compost program and recognized by Illinois Food Scraps Coalition's We Compost
Ketterling High School - Waterford, MI
Manteca Unified School District - Manteca, CA = 31 schools
Mason Middle School - Waterford, MI
Meriden Public Schools - Meriden, CT = 13 schools
Modesto City Schools - Modesto, CA = 34 schools
Mott High School - Waterford, MI
Napa Valley Unified School District = 29 schools
Odyssey Charter School - Palm Bay, FL
Ostego Public Schools - Ostego, MI = 6 schools
Pierce Middle School - Waterford, MI
Plainfield Community School Corporation - Plainfield, IN = 2 schools
Works with K-12 Food Rescue to donate wholesome unsold food to local hunger relief organizations.
Portage Township Schools - Portage, IN = 11 schools
Works with K-12 Food Rescue to donate wholesome unsold food to local hunger relief organizations.
Red Lake School District - MN = 5 schools
River Rouge School District - MI = 4 schools
San Bruno Park School District = 4 schools
School City of Hammond - Hammond, IN = 22 schools
Works with K-12 Food Rescue to donate wholesome unsold food to local hunger relief organizations.
Shelby Public Schools - Shelby, MI = 4 schools
Silver Stage Elementary School
Garden, Compost, and Waste Reduction Project
Sleepy Hollow Elementary School - Falls Church, VA
Works with Food Bus to donate wholesome unsold food to local food pantries.
St. Bridgid Catholic School - Micland, MI
St Francis Communities - Salina, Kansas = 1 school
St. Johns Lutheran School - Rochester, NY
St. Paul Public Schools = 99 schools
St. Thomas Aquinas School - Indianapolis, IN
Tawas Area Schools - Tawas, MI = 3 schools
Temple Rodef Shalom Nursery School - Falls Church, VA
Works with Food Bus to donate wholesome unsold food to local food pantries.
Travilah Elementary School - North Potomac, MD
Trenton Special School District - Trenton, TN = 3 schools
Upland Unified School District - Upland, CA = 14 schools
Vancouver School District - Vancouver, WA = 34 schools
Waconia Public Schools - MN = 5 schools

# ¿ Mar 28, 2016 19:06

wateroverfire: Jul 3, 2010

Sorus posted:

Food Bank stuff is state level, yeah? Sort of like how subsides for retailers that food bank are also state level. Is this something that can be kicked up to federal level?

There are national, regional, state, and local level food banks and pantries. It's a pretty complex ecosystem and the Federal government is involved. Here are some things the USDA has been doing. Amusingly, they misquote their own study.

# ¿ Mar 28, 2016 19:10

wateroverfire: Jul 3, 2010

WampaLord posted:

Holy gently caress, did you actually need to copy/paste a giant fuckoff list instead of just putting a link there?

It illustrates a point, so yes!

# ¿ Mar 28, 2016 19:17

wateroverfire: Jul 3, 2010

Obdicut posted:

It is sad, but true, that people with your moralistic views tend to derail any policy-level discussion--though OP poisoned the well in this case by assuming that individual-level waste was a good target.

FWIW I have no part in the nutrition derail - that was not the purpose of posting this thread.

I was tired of posters railing against corporations for WASTING ARE FOOD when a) the statistics suggest the supply chain is pretty efficient and b) there are numerous efforts to reduce or redirect waste at every step in the chain, so I thought "let's put the facts together and maybe people will shut up about it."

# ¿ Mar 29, 2016 13:15

wateroverfire: Jul 3, 2010

Obdicut posted:

Focusing on individual-level behavior seems to make sense because if you get someone to successfully change it has a huge effect, but in the actual, real world, it is very difficult to enact a campaign that gets people to change behavior, especially if it is highly culturally bound up, like food and eating are.

So if you want to talk about affecting the individual you need to talk about affecting the culture. Most of the food waste at the individual level comes from it being wasted before its used or leftovers, and the only real way to culturally affect that would be more communal living and eating.

So, addressing the supply chain is still what makes the most sense, because it's by far the easiest target.

I'm not arguing that we shouldn't address the supply chain, so we agree!

I'm just pointing out that there is consciousness at all levels of the supply chain that waste is a thing, and that steps are being taken by private and public actors in their own interest to either reduce or redirect it, and that consumer waste is by far a bigger factor. I think we can address more than one thing at a time.

# ¿ Mar 29, 2016 15:07

wateroverfire: Jul 3, 2010

Obdicut posted:

"Steps are being taken" is a really silly phrase to throw in there. What steps? How fast are they being taken? What are the obstacles.

Read the thread and the articles linked in the thread, and many of your questions will be answered.

Obdicut posted:

That consumer waste is a bigger problem, again, doesn't mean that it's up to individual behavior. it means we need to adjust population-level stuff, because super-obviously people on their own aren't going to do it.

Ok. Let's talk about adjusting population level incentives. That seems fine and useful.

edit:

Ironicly, one way to reduce food waste at the consumer level would simply be to make food more expensive. Eventually, households looking to economize would pay more attention to using everything they paid for.

wateroverfire fucked around with this message at 17:29 on Mar 29, 2016

# ¿ Mar 29, 2016 17:19

wateroverfire: Jul 3, 2010

Obdicut posted:

I did, they weren't.

Yeah, they were. For instance, there was a big gently caress-off list of participants in the USDA's US Food Waste Challenge pasted into the thread so that people had to loving read it, among other things. In the first article linked in the OP there is an interview with the executive director of a national food bank in which she runs down some of the challenges. There's a link to the USDA website where they specifically run down what they've done, what they're doing, and what they're committed to doing.

# ¿ Mar 29, 2016 18:36

wateroverfire: Jul 3, 2010

I didn't think any topic could provoke more spergposting than Uber, but apparantly nutrition is that special unicorn.

# ¿ Mar 30, 2016 18:05

wateroverfire: Jul 3, 2010

deadly_pudding posted:

I agree with this. I think the logical linkup comes from the "obviously we are producing way more food than actually gets consumed" side of the equation. Like, if we have so much surplus food then why do we have people struggling to get a proper meal?

Also, "we don't have infinite money so why not recapture what would be wasted and use it to feed people?"

# ¿ Mar 31, 2016 16:59

wateroverfire: Jul 3, 2010

Onion Knight posted:

Why should anyone give a poo poo about food waste? As long as you're not dumping it into a pond etc. you're fine. It biodegrades wonderfully.

The problem is "the poor are going hungry". The answer is more and more robust welfare programs, full stop.

So there was some back-of-the-napkin math in the Techbros thread.

Lyesh posted:

Let's play the fun back of the envelope game:

Rice has about 1.3 kcal per gram. So a metric ton of rice is about 1.3 million calories, which will feed two people for a year. Three hundred million people in the US means we'd need about 150 million tonnes of rice to meet the caloric needs of the entire US population.

Rice runs around $300/ton in bulk, so that works out to like $45 billion to feed everyone in the US rice for a year. That's pretty much the absolute max the program of "you get rice if you come to the post office" could cost. I mean if people are coming there and loading pallets of the free rice on their trucks so they can toss it in a furnace i guess you might have a problem. That seems to be about as likely to happen as someone running a hose from a public restroom tap to their tanker truck they use to steal water though.

Nessus posted:

According to ancient Japanese wisdom (no really) about 330 pounds of rice is enough to feed one person for one year. Round that up to 400 and now a ton of rice feeds FIVE people for a year, and that's before you get the beans involved!

Liquid Communism posted:

Yeah, it averages out to ~1500 calories a day. Not too shabby, really, as far as subsistence staples go. Figure that plus whatever you can come up with in the way of local veggies, dairy, and small game/fish and you definitely won't starve to death quickly.

Hell, at $9 (retail) per 20lbs, one koku is only $148. That's a drat steal, as far as things we could spend welfare dollars on.

Hmm, it does look like a steal when you put it like that.

How much would it cost to feed an adult on nothing but rice for a year?

A metric ton of rice is enough to feed two adults for a year (about 1750 calories per day) . A metric ton is about 2200 pounds, so for easy math let's say a person eats 1100 lbs of rice. Let's assume rice retalis for $10/20 lbs to make the math easy, so the retail cost to feed 1 adult on rice for a year is 1100/20 * 10 or $550. About $45/month.

Doable as a social insurance thing, possibly, but also pretty doable for the vast majority of even poor people with their own incomes plus assistance they have available now. Like...if you have a way to cook rice and you're somehow paying for food now you can probably afford your basic nutrition without a new program.

# ¿ Mar 31, 2016 17:34

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# ¿ May 16, 2024 07:09

wateroverfire: Jul 3, 2010

Baronjutter posted:

Depends if it's processed or not.

WampaLord posted:

An adult can't live on only rice, you realize?

idk man, looking at the quotes from the Techbros thread people seem to think so.

But let's assume we add some beans. According to the USDA a pound of dry kidney beans cost about $1.67 on average in 2013. Let's say it's $2.00 because math.

According to Calorie King there are 99 calories in 1 oz of dry kidney beans, so 16oz * 99 calories = 1584 calories in a pound.

Let's say hypotheticly you split your daily 1750 calories evenly between rice and beans.

875 calories of rice costs about .75 cents per day (half of $45 per month / 30 days).
875 calories of beans costs about $1.11 (875/1584 calories per pound * $2.00 per pound)

Throw in a one-a-day multivitamin - about $10.00 for 365 tablets, or $.83 cents per month.

So feeding a person on rice and beans for a month at retail costs more or less ($1.11 + $0.75)*30 + $0.83 or $56.63. Still pretty doable.

edit: I think a question we might ask ourselves is, given that food is so cheap and that assistance is available, how is anyone with access to a stove and a pot food insecure in the US?

wateroverfire fucked around with this message at 18:13 on Mar 31, 2016

# ¿ Mar 31, 2016 18:10

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Debate & Discussion > Food Waste is Hard to Deal With.