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.

Why ? You seem to think you have a good idea here which will overall save money and make consumers happier, there's no reason you can't take advantage of that by starting your own business.

Or getting involved in a local community group (most villages/towns have one: they mostly do hanging baskets) and try to organised "Thursday night is late opening" to try get the butchers and greengrocers to do one 12-8 day instead of 9-4. We had this in the last area we lived in, it seemed quite popular.

Then when its working more people might join in.

Because she'd rather bitch than actually do anything about it. Like most people, Pint.

Wow, surprised everyone's being so negative on this thread. I'm quite often annoyed by being made to buy veg in multi-packs when I only actually want one courgette, corn on the cob etc. Maybe it's different if you have a large family?

Singletons might want single packets of everything, but I'm trying to wrangle a baby and a toddler around a supermarket - I want to be able to zoom down the fruit and veg isle, picking up one bag of apples, one of peppers, one of sweetcord etc. scanned and put straight into the bag, not muck about bagging/weighing/stickering/re-bagging or queueing up so the till staff can do it.

We only waste fruit and veg if it gets forgotten behind something else. Surely in a family there's always someone who wants to eat the last banana or chunk of cucumber?

I'm still surprised though - every supermarket around me, even the little highstreet one, lets you buy most of their fruit and veg either pre-packaged or by weight, so you can have just one of anything you like.

I can only think of the tiny little highstreet supermarkets I've been to while visiting other areas that don't.

I hoped that she would realise that as adults we are responsible for changing the world in the way we want it to be changed rather than sit around and complain Tee.

MinesAtea and Teerick

Seriously

neither of you have any idea what I do in my local community or what my personal circumstances are. This post is about general wastage not about me.

Mine
Why are you being so rude? Basically talking about me calling me she in an open forum.

Your post could not be any more patronising and considering you know absolutely nothing about me to judge that I just sit around and complain is ridiculous.

Maybe I should have worded it as "the OP" but I couldn't use "you" when addressing TEE. Nor would I have elaborated if your response to my earlier comment had been to discuss the matter or suggest you are already involved.

FWIW I buy loose food locally and support community initatives where I can. But that doesn't mean I think that is the only way food should be sold or worry that changing the current market might increase rather than decrease food prices.

Mine

you could start a business selling loose goods at the times you think most people shop.

You suggested I start a business selling products out of hours You also accuse me of just sitting complaining and doing nothing about it in the local community in quite a patronising and rude manner without knowing anything about me, my life, my job or responsibilities.

That is why I was

Even if you didn't have a freezer, why would you not use the remainder of the sausages in a casserole or make toad in the hole or something?

We have a food waste bin provided by the council so everything goes in that.

Yes but everyone has lives and responsibilities. Including the people who work in or own supermarkets (which as shareholders includes most of us in the UK who have a pension fund). If the people who feel strongly that this is the best way to do things don't do it then who will?

I presumed you were one of the people who felt strongly by the terms in which you were posting and that you would have told us if you were involved in a project to change things.

I was clearly wrong about this. Sorry.

Aldi stopped sell by and best before dates on fruit and veg ages ago. You have to look at fruit/veg and assess it for yourself. Apples etc last for weeks. I do buy bagged salad, one a week and eat it all. I do agree BOGOF on fresh food is not ideal in many cases. I've never seen BOGOF in Aldi where I shop though.

To be fair some people are really funny about sell/use by dates. Food doesn't magically go off after midnight.

I think why we have here is a classic example of "that's no use to me so I don't see the point"

For large families, people who live cooperatively, people who invest in a chest freezer the crazy offers that are sometimes on work out very well and do not result in wastage.
If these people were forced to buy 50x individual packets then the wastage would be in the unnecessary packaging.

It does generally work out better value to bulk buy and yes some people are seduced by this and waste the food however I would argue that rather than reducing everyone options to bulk buy to focus should be on educating people
Firstly in how to use up food that would otherwise go to waste and secondly in the value of sharing.

In twattys example (assuming she does not have a freezer) does she perhaps have a neighbour or neighbours dog who would be very happy to receive 3 sausages a week?

I live with a toddler and cannot use the about of potatoes sold in the big sack at lidl. However the difference between 1kg and 5/10kg? Is minimal. So I buy the big sack and give as many to my mum as she can use, as many to my friend as her family can use, batch cook to use up as many as I can use and still put some to compost (even though they are stored correctly)

Other options would be to half the bag and offer them to your school kitchen, the care home, a nursery, a love food hate waste scheme or turn up at a community group aimed at older people and offer them out.

Its more effort than throwing it in the bin but would do wonders to increase community feeling in your area

Herrena

The voice of reason.

I also want to stick up for bagged salad. That's one thing we hardly ever waste because it goes with everything, you can always use it as a side veg if it's getting near its date, and it means we can have fresh mixed leafy veg (which is healthy) without having to buy 4 different types of lettuce etc., sort through them for good bits, wash them, dry them and chop them (which takes ages) AND almost certainly have waste.

You mean Herrena who actually had a solution instead of just bitching about the problem?

You haven't said anywhere that you do anything about this except bitch. When it was suggested there are things you can do if it bothers you so much, you went .

So which is it? Are you part of the problem or part of the solution?

We all need to buy into this, it's one of those rare occasions where there are no losers. We save money by reducing food waste, we save the environment by reducing food waste. Win win.
I work in waste and in my experience people often think that others waste a lot but they don't. Until they start keeping a food diary or even just noting what they have discarded they do not realise how much they buy and do not use.
Meal plan. Write a list.

Teerick

I am not sure why you are attacking me in such a manner.

Am I? Huh.

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.

If this is such a concern for you, why don't you look at how you can get the information out there and EDUCATE people about the food waste. If people are receptive, they themselves will make the choice (if appropriate for their needs) to stop buying the 2 for 1 offers. If they stop buying these offers en masse, then the supermarkets will stop doing these offers.

People are educated, less food waste, supermarkets take notice. All without that pesky government interference, just with common sense.

Win/Win.

It really annoys me how bigger packs of things are usually better value. It can be hard to pass up a good offer, especially if money is tight... but then if you can't/don't use it then of course it gets wasted and I do tend to blame that on the supermarkets more than the customers

I agree with the poster who said half price is better than bogof. If you want two then you are effectively getting bogof anyway rather than picking up two because of the deal and possibly only using one.

I agree with the storage problem in new builds. We took our downstairs toilet out, and turned it into a walk in pantry/cupboard, we keep tins and unopened non perishables in there, also things like the Hoover. Our kitchen is so tiny that there is no cupboard space for things like that. The cupboards are filled with pots and pans and opened packets!