DH is using community pantry for free food

@godmum56 lucky folk who live in wealthier areas - so obviously the priorities are different.
Where I live there are a lot of empty fridges and cupboards.

YABU

a pantry is not a food bank. It’s designed to reduce food waste and isn’t income dependent. If it makes you feel better donate that amount it would cost you at the supermarket to your local food bank and give the man a break.

So like an olio then?

Good to stop waste

but as long as he isn’t taking it from there who truly need it

maybe he can go the last 10mins before shuts so he’s not taking all the stuff that someone truely may have needed

@Needmorelego I know that its ultimate goal is about not wasting food (but thanks for the slightly patronising explanation) but imho the ultimate goal should be that people who have greater need should have priority. Those with plenty of cash should be last in line.
When I had very little a super cheap bag of out of date food was like gold to me. Now that I have more money (albeit still very low waged) I would hate to deny anyone in need. If it’s the end of the day and it would otherwise go to waste then fine but not otherwise.

I wish there was something like this near me
I am on a reasonable income but use the yellow stickers to save money
DP (not living together) is out of work and broke so I buy extra for him and batch cook etc - he is too proud to use a food bank and previous experience during covid put him off as he was just given lots of random goods which he wouldn’t eat

And often I can't afford the full price. So we do without (edit) if the items we would like are not reduced.

But when things are a bit easier, I leave them for those who need them more.

Its not batshit, its called basic humanity. Yes they may well be swooped out by those that dont need them, but I can sleep well knowing that it wasnt me that did it.

I find it curious that some people on here seem to think yellow ticket items should be left alone unless you are struggling.
Have you even seen them lately? They are not that generous. Things like a Charlie Bigham meal down from nearly £8 to £5. I doubt anyone struggling to feed themselves will be buying that.
I have just been to my local big Tesco. The yellow ticket stuff was crap like a apple snack pack. Yellow ticket price was still 30p... for a 3rd of an apple.
Half the issue is that the fresh produce counters are gone from a lot of places now. My Tesco used to have a meat and fish counter. I loved picking up half price skate as it is so expensive but so lush too.
Now they just have a Yo! Sushi, and even at half the price, it is very expensive.
The only real bargains I see with yellow stickers on now is bread.

I actually think it’s ok sometimes in certain circumstances.

For example if it shuts at 4 and he is there at half 3 and collects one of the basil plants and there are several then that’s good as he is preventing waste. If he turned up at 8am with a carrier bag ready to take things then I do think that is wrong as most of the items could be going to someone who needs them.

@WingingItSince1973 who should eat the yellow labelled food in Waitrose?

@PyongyangKipperbang but that's the point - they WANT to run out. They want the food gone.
A lot of food pantries (or good to go bags) are left over food from places like Greggs so it is food like donuts not stuff you can make family meals from.

Why do people keep mentioning the word food bank

This isn't the same thing.

Generally you need a referral from a professional, GP/social worker to have access to a food bank they're not just queue up and walk in as with a community fridges.

Why?
Reduced food is for anyone. Do you honestly think someone in poverty goes to Waitrose to begin with?

It would be morally wrong if there are people in the village who are struggling and need more food than is left after DH has taken some. Otherwise, it's fine for anyone to use up food which is about to be dumped in landfill. It's not like taking food from a food bank.

Our community pantry is mainly just yellow stickered stuff from the local Co op that hasn’t sold. Generally meal deal sandwiches a bit of fruit / veg and bread. Possibly some sliced meats and ready meals. The idea is that the 30 packs of broccoli that are at their best before date do not end up in landfill. Any meals / sandwiches / meats have to be tossed in the morning if no one claims them as past use by date.

Its not the same as a food bank it’s about reducing food wastage. I grab bits there sometimes ( mainly broccoli, always seems to have loads) and make soup. Saves it being composted.

Well the one near us runs out regularly, so there is zero food waste. So if a high earner went in , got his haul and by doing so genuinely deprived a struggling family, that is wrong. Just because a person can do something it doesnt mean that they should.

I saw something online about how community pantries dont always work depending on where they are. So the food waste remains pretty much the same as the well heeled dont need it and think it akin to using a food bank (as evidenced on here). But where there is genuine need there isnt enough food or isnt a pantry.

So it really does make a difference where this particular pantry is.

These answers are varied because it seems that community pantries vary in purpose depending on where you live. That means only the OP can say if it's right or wrong - OP, you will just need to find out what the actual purpose of the pantry is and whether or not there are people who really need to use it because they are struggling.
We have one around the corner that is absolutely for anyone. Most of the food has sell by and use by dates on the day of collection or the following day, but you can get bags of vegetables, loads of sandwiches, pastries, meat, all sorts - it varies each time. Usually there is a rule of two carrier bags per household, but other times they are begging people to take more of a certain item because it will otherwise end up in the bin. If the OP's pantry is like ours here, all the intense criticism of the OP's DH is completely unfair as the whole purpose of the pantry is to stop waste. But as I say, the OP needs to look into it, ask the volunteers, to find out if it's appropriate to go or not.

Well, a few things...

a) this isn't the same community pantry

b) coats, boots and sleeping bags don't go off so there's not the same urgency to get them taken before they just go to waste

c) OP hasn't said anything about coats, boots and sleeping bags.

I think I would encourage your DH to go later in the day,so that he's not depriving other people but it is absolutely right that your household makes use of food that would otherwise be wasted. Normalising reduction of food waste is important. Perhaps you could suggest that he makes a donation to the community pantry or a local food bank to (at least) balance what he's saving.

It totally depends on what the pantry is for.

• if it's to reduce food waste and the stuff is there because it's about to go off, brilliant, crack on
• if it's a food bank, wtf no je has to stop

I'd go further and say, if it's option 1, brilliant that he's using it because he's destigmatizing it for everyone. If you think of all the shame about food banks etc, seeing a tech bro take home some stilton that's on its last day means someone in actual need won't think twice about taking what they want, too. Go have a look at UN stats on food waste, they are terrifying, so anything that address this problem is good.

A few of these in our area have stated on multiple occasions that these are available for all, and are not food banks. Their purpose is to reduce food being binned for no reason, and they want to encourage as many people as possible to use.

Community pantries are not food banks. And usually, they seem to be in quite middle class areas, so if people like you aren’t taking the stuff it gets thrown away. Which defeats the object rather

There is a Community pantry in my area, and it absolutely is for people in need. It partners with supermarkets to reduce food waste but at the same time - in the winter they will start stocking jackets, coats, winter boots. Things that people who are struggling find hard to pay for.

If he's going in to save the odd bag of veg from landfill, fine. But it is not the business of anyone in a higher tax bracket to be taking free coats, boots and sleeping bags when they can easily afford it.

I wouldn't do it because I agree it could be a lifeline to others, even if it's not the main purpose of the pantry.

We had one like this near us before covid. It was definitely to cut waste and was open to everyone. I don’t see anything wrong with what your DH is doing tbh. He’s helping them achieve the aim of the pantry.

People are very judgmental. I'd look at their website or social media and see what it says. Unless it's aimed only at helping people who are struggling, then what's the problem? 'The talk of the village'! 🙄Apparently some people would rather see perfectly good food go to waste than have some of it be taken by people who aren't struggling with poverty.