The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Community => Coffee Lounge => Topic started by: northfifeduckling on March 17, 2009, 09:39:43 pm

Title: how much food do we really throw away?
Post by: northfifeduckling on March 17, 2009, 09:39:43 pm: I don't know where the government gets the £ 410 average from - nobody asked me! How about you? I'm trying to add the pennies up now if something goes into the compost or very, very rarely in the bin.
I do get quite miffed with this topic for 2 reasons:
The first time GB brought it up was after an 11 course dinner with his G7 (or8) mates.
Also, does anyone ask the supermarkets how much food they put on landfill? Why do they have to make the consumers feel guilty if a lousy tomato goes off but tons and tons get locked away or even covered in bleach (my stepson told me so, he had worked for the big M in his holidays) so no "tramp" can go and help themselves to their rubbish without paying for it!
Don't get me wrong: it's no question that we ought to be aware of what goes in our bins - it's the patronising HOW they say it that gets to me and who they do not mention.
Just letting off steam...:&>
Title: Re: how much food do we really throw away?
Post by: Hilarysmum on March 18, 2009, 06:43:56 am: We are able to utilise the waste veggies from the frozen veggie factory, we take around 1200 kilos per week, other friends also use this. What we take is a snowflake from an avalanche of what is dumped. I think its recycled into compost here.

On the same subject what about airline food waste, criminal.
Title: Re: how much food do we really throw away?
Post by: sausagesandcash on March 18, 2009, 08:14:01 am: We throw away nothing. One dog and three pigs sure helps!
Title: Re: how much food do we really throw away?
Post by: sandy on March 18, 2009, 09:32:18 am: I think they ma have looked at the waste households produce, taken away packaging and divided the rest into a figure pro capita, does seem a lot as most food I throw away is an odd bit of moldy fruit or veg, may be a bit of stale bread and thats about it. although I do through out peelings as I do not use a compost bin just yet, I know, I will, I promise!!! As I am sure everyone on this forum is aware, statistics can be found to prove any point!!! If you asked the same questions in different parts of a village, town or city you would get different results. I remember a programme about people who live of scavenged food etc, I was amazed how wrapped multi packs get thrown out due to one being damaged. Years ago my partner worked with the homeless at Christmas in London and a lot of the big stores gave the project their left over Christmas stuff and "posh" food, I still think it's the escalating trend of the suing culture that stops us getting really cheap produce that would be thrown out normally. Anyway, I am off to turnoff the spaghetti and rice for my chickens...there little treat for today :chook: :chook: :chook:
Title: Re: how much food do we really throw away?
Post by: Fluffywelshsheep on March 18, 2009, 05:58:08 pm: Quote from: sandy on March 18, 2009, 09:32:18 am
although I do through out peelings

don't your chickens eat the peelings ?
or could you put the peeling to one side and give it to me (I have a compost bin, well 3 or i think anne has a bin) until you get up and running ?
Title: Re: how much food do we really throw away?
Post by: sandy on March 18, 2009, 11:03:41 pm: OK, I will save them up for you!!! My chickens are fussy, they even pick out veg that they don't like and only eat cooked stuff :chook:
Title: Re: how much food do we really throw away?
Post by: gavo on March 18, 2009, 11:14:05 pm: Hello,

The only "food" that gets thrown away are chicken bones - in case the dog eats them and they splinter. Everything else is consumed by the menagerie of pigs, sheep, goats, chickens, ducks, geese & turkeys, cats and the dog. Oh and the Exmoor will polish off the odd apple or two.

Cheers

Gavin
Title: Re: how much food do we really throw away?
Post by: Hilarysmum on March 19, 2009, 08:09:35 am: Sandy my chickens were offered a whole lot of cooked sweetcorn, which they refused. They will eat cooked peas though. Thankfully the pigs are not so fussy.
Title: Re: how much food do we really throw away?
Post by: Fluffywelshsheep on March 19, 2009, 08:30:32 am: the only thing that gos out is plastic wrappers everything else it recycled or given to the birds or composted/shredded I think i don't get much cooked food left over but that go out as your not surpose to compost that.

Linz
Title: Re: how much food do we really throw away?
Post by: Rhyan & Melissa on March 19, 2009, 11:21:28 am: Here is a great website:

http://www.lovefoodhatewaste.com/

Perfect!
Title: Re: how much food do we really throw away?
Post by: carole h on March 19, 2009, 07:27:24 pm: Thanks for the link.
I hate wasting food, too. Like the rest of you, we try to use everything ourselves ..then the animals get what they will eat ..finally the compost gets anything left (very little at this stage!)
We have found that shopping locally - little and often - also helps because we tend to only buy what we need.
Title: Re: how much food do we really throw away?
Post by: Hilarysmum on March 19, 2009, 07:39:23 pm: Our budget is so tight we can only buy real necessities. First in line are the pigs, then the dogs and cats, then the bills, then us. So NOTHING gets wasted, what everyone else does not eat we do!!!!
Title: Re: how much food do we really throw away?
Post by: Rosemary on March 19, 2009, 07:58:00 pm: I HATE wasting food. My mum had two sayings (among many) "Waste not, want not" and "Hunger's good kitchen".

Between the dogs, the pigs, the hens and the compost bins, we don't waste much.
Title: Re: how much food do we really throw away?
Post by: sandy on March 20, 2009, 09:23:50 am: Hi Linz, got some peelings for you, will save more over the weekend, missed you last night for a chat, anyway, do you include orange peel and gone off banannas???? I may pop out for some buckets and some other bit's today..how nice is this spell of sunshine :D
Title: Re: how much food do we really throw away?
Post by: Fluffywelshsheep on March 20, 2009, 10:24:05 am: Totally forgot about meeting last night oops,
if your around today i can pop in afternoon times (after postie)or you can leave a bag or something at
your door and i'll collect it later. if postie bringwhat i want i'll be going to dunfermline if not i'll just be going to alloa

Put all times of veg waste in the bag just not cooked foods

Linz
Title: Re: how much food do we really throw away?
Post by: sandy on March 20, 2009, 10:51:22 am: I am having a VERY sloooooooooooow morning, on my second coffee and now a piece of cake, have loads to do and will pop out sometime to pay a cheque into the bank and get some bits and bobs in Alloa, and of cours BEN and Islay want to go out. I willl put a carrier bag in a galvanised bucket by my garage if you pop around when I have gone out, not too much just yet!!!!