To think that all food products (where feasible) should be sold by individual units not multi packs.

[redpipe]

15 million tonnes of food went to waste in the UK in 2010.

AIBU to think that all supermarkets should have fruit, veg and bakery products available for sale individually.
Supersizing and promotions enticing people to buy more than they need or pay more should be scrapped.
Promotions should be about reducing price and not dependent upon buying double.

The meat/veg in packs is often sealed oxygen-free. So the loose stuff has a shorter shelf-life.

But I meal-plan and freeze the excess (even down to chopping up a whole onion and freezing half of it if I only need half). Its a little bit more effort but saves us a fortune. Only peelings, bones and DS's floor-food (I refuse to eat food that's been dropped on the floor) go in our food waste bin. We still throw away about a carrier-bag full each week when we only buy 4-5 carriers of food a week, but that's because we prepare everything so generate lots of peelings etc.

Expat

People can buy what they like, I would not stop anyone buying anything. You don't understand my argument. It is the supermarkets I want to stop enticing people to buy more with 2 for 1 offers etc. which are proven to produce more food AND packaging waste.

There are already loads of laws to protect the environment and laws to protect the consumer. Why would you oppose something so strongly that would benefit both the consumer and society without 'policing' choice.
In fact it would give many people more choice and more varied diets because they could buy less of everything.

Amazingboucningferet
But many things don't need to be prepackaged.

Also it doesn't tackle the issue of the marketing 2 for 1 offers.

Because I buy 2 for 1s, plenty do and use them. What is needed is what Amazing said, more education and people using their brains.

What I find annoying is that whilst they might sell potatoes in bags as well as loose, the ones that they sell loose aren't the ones I want. Same with apples. eg my local Sainsbury and Tesco only sell 'white potatoes' loose, no other variety. I hate them, because I find they go all sticky and slimy when you try to mash them. So I buy Maris Pipers, which only come in a big bag.

I meal plan, so I usually find something to do with them and don't end up throwing them out, but I can see how easy it would be to use half and bin the rest.

This reads like preparation for a Daily Mail article.
Speaking as someone who shops carefully, including thinking about an sometimes buying 2 for 1 offers, I think it's a shame that we should consider regulating how goods are sold because people are incapable of using their own common sense.
If I see a good deal I'll buy it and freeze some. I always freeze the half an onion, jar of sauce, spare 2 for 1, extra sausages...

I get you redpipe. There are some ridiculous offers on sometimes where it's cheaper to buy more than you need of an item that doesn't last or freeze.

Most of us think about waste and wouldn't buy stuff we know we can't use but many people will just consider cost or maybe start out with good intentions and then end up throwing it out.

I don't actually think the supermarkets care.

my in laws refuse to freeze food as they think they will get food poisoning from it

www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/personalfinance/consumertips/household-bills/9902384/Why-the-weekly-supermarket-trip-is-dying-out.html

Interesting article, the weekly shop is dying out.

Some people find it impossible to plan meals in advance due to work commitments etc. Being able to buy just what you need in a one stop shop would be the answer for many people.

It's all very well saying go to the butcher etc but unless you have someone at home who can do this they are not open when many finish work.

tuppence

But it's not common sense it goes against common sense to pay more for less. That is the issue.

2 for 1's are fine for stuff you can freeze, like meat, but very fresh stuff like salad leaves not such a good thing. I do buy salad leaves, I love rocket, watercress, spinach instead of just lettuce all the time but I only ever buy one pack at a time. I only ever buy the whole leaf types though - they keep for several days when opened in the fridge so long as you reseal the pack, whereas shredded lettuce ones go manky really quickly.

You don't always pay more for less. You just need to be generally aware of what you'd normally pay for things before the 2 for 1 offer. That's the problem with this, people don't use the brains they are born with.

It's very difficult to try to feed you family healthy balanced meals and avoid waste, because that means buying fresh fruit and veg, yoghurt, fish and other things that have to be managed carefully. If it's starting to get a bit old, I'm a good cook and I know what to do with it, but I also have to have the time to whip up an apple crumble or make jam or banana bread or stew to freeze - and it's really hard to find that time.

I could just feed my family ready meals and frozen turkey drummers, and there would be no waste. And then I'd get slagged off for that.

I really try to keep our food waste down, I use up leftovers and compost what does get wasted, but if I wanted to perfectly meal-plan and not waste anything, I'd have to give up work in order to have the time.

I don't think it's an issue of sizes or multipacks - it's pretty easy to get small amounts of everything. The only thing I would make smaller is jars of pesto, pickle, hp sauce etc because they always go off before being used up.

Why not try to get a local high street open 1-2 evenings a week then (we had that in the run up to Christmas every year)? Or return to the weekly Saturday shop? Basically do something for yourself.

Or even if you think there's demand for it, you could start a business selling loose goods at the times you think most people shop.

I think storage is a problem too, especially in new houses. In our current house we have an old fashioned pantry, with 2 marble shelves for food storage and other shelves, large floor space for storage. I keep fruit and veg (less bananas) in there because I think they last longer (habit picked up from living in a hot country and buying a second fridge solely for fruit and veg storage)

I take advantage of the BOGOFs / Three for One etc when they work out cheaper, because I know I can store/prepare/freeze them - but then I have a chest freezer but others don't have the space for one.

People have also lost the 'knack' of using up veg etc. Stews and curries for me always have odds and sods in that would otherwise go off - but I have friends that only use meat and onions in curry, or only have carrots and peas in stew. Sprouts in stews are surprisingly tasty!

OP that article completely contradicts your point!
People don't want individual products, they don't want to go shopping every day for the ingredients to make that days worth of food and nothing more
They want to go the supermarket once a week, often with their kids who would rather be anywhere else and pick up roughly the right amount of potatoes/carrots/bread without having to meticulously plan each serving.
Some people are better than others at getting to the end of that week and doing a scan of what needs using up in the fridge and making an appropriate meal.

But I can't think of a single supermarket chain that doesn't sell all those things individually. It is just that a lot of people would rather grab a pre-packed bag and save themselves the hassle.

I find bagged salads far more convenient and far less wasteful than buying a whole iceberg, some rocket, some fancy red, some cabbage and some spinach...

As for potatoes, I transfer them to a paper bag to stop them sprouting...

Plus, I meal-plan, and rarely throw anything out.

And we compost.

I know the Tesco my dp works at give ood veg and fruit to the zoo. it sickens me how much food gets wasted

minesapintoftea

Did you read the article or just the headline?

Because what you are conveniently not saying about that article is that the weekly trip to the market is dying out. Most of us meal plan and order for delivery. Still once a week, though.

Twatty may not have a freezer; none of the rented flats I lived in had one, or even room for one.

I used to live near Leicester fruit and veg markiet. Them were the days ...

These Lakeland veg/potato/onion bags are, by the way, one of the best things I have ever purchased.

Everything keeps longer so now I can buy things in bulk.

Teerickorteereat
You're right, I read something the other week about the change in supermarket habits where they buy non perishables once a week and then top up with the fresh food items several time a week. I thought that was the article.