to expect people not to give ridiculous items to food bank...

[MariaAngustias]

I volunteer at a food bank. Everything is weighed in then weighed out for audit purposes. Whilst there are many lovely and generous people who donate to use there are some people who give such odd and weird things - out of date food, opened packets, packs of hair dye (yep, few of these at moment), medication ... and obviously this stuff cannot be given out but it has to be sorted, weighed and then disposed of. Why?!

[Jijithecat]

There's a big difference between best before (food quality) and use by (food safety). Anything past it's use by date obviously shouldn't be donated but if something is at or only just past it's best before date and still sealed I don't see an issue. In fact most of the stock in Community Fridges (which is largely provided by supermarkets) will be food past it's best before date.

I read an interview with someone from a nearby food bank who was laughing about how a pregnancy test had been donated and they'd chucked it out. I couldn't help think that actually it probably was quite useful and how out of touch they were.

[UserTwice]

I can't see the problem with open packets (depending on what they are). Half a packet of pasta could still be given to someone.
Our local facebook is full of people saying (for example) that they bought a new type of cereal, had one bowl and don't like it and would anyone like the rest of the box?

[melj1213]

My local food bank has a table with things like that (not opened food, but out of date food, specialised food, toiletries including hair dye) that people coming to the food bank can take in addition to their food parcel, if they want it.

Same here. I volunteer at one of our local ones and anything random that we wouldn't put in a standard package, or anything past their BBE date, goes onto a table and anyone can help themselves to any 2 items from the table in addition to their food parcel.

We also have a specific area for toiletries and people can choose a certain number of things they need/ want (the number of items varies by the number of people the parcel is for) because it is easier to allow people to choose to take the items that they want and will actually use than waste things - no point us giving someone a huge bottle of shampoo if they have shampoo at home and really need shower gel/soap

[Shortiemyboo]

Out of date and open - no but hair dye might be appreciated

[HeartsAndClubs]

I bet a lot of it is past use by date though.

I used to run the cake stall at the school fete, and the kids used to bring in cakes the day before. Obviously they often used to bring in shop bought packets, and it wasn’t unusual to be given cakes up to a year out of date. probably cakes the parents had had in the freezer and defrosted for the purpose, but still....

[Chipsahoy]

Ours takes baby wipes, razors and shampoo etc. I also give sanitary wear. Often they ask for these things on their list of things they really need.

[SleepingStandingUp]

@UserTwice

I can't see the problem with open packets (depending on what they are). Half a packet of pasta could still be given to someone.
Our local facebook is full of people saying (for example) that they bought a new type of cereal, had one bowl and don't like it and would anyone like the rest of the box?

O don't blame people for not being up for eating or feeding their kid food that's been opened, possiblytampered with, possible contaminated etc. That may have started to go stale (cereal for example) because it's been sat open for weeks (of you take open food it won't be oh I opened this today, it'll be that's sat there for a few weeks).

[Oldsu]

It would depend on the colour of the Dye, Pink, Purple or bright colours may not be appropriate, but Blonde, Brown Black and even Red would be of use, my DHs Charity shop often has hair dye donated, and unless the box has been opened he puts them out for sale, they tend to sell very well

[SleepingStandingUp]

Surely toiletries Inc hair dye, pregnancy tests etc could just be left for people to take one or two things from extra? Same as sanitary wear, nappies, baby wipes etc?

But then I also find it ridiculous so many won't take baby formula

[LAgeDeRaisin]

I think opened stuff is a bit off unless it's a multipack of something, but I'd eat out of date stuff depending on what it was. E.g. out of date pasta, or out of date crackers. Out of date apples/potatoes if they still looks fine.
I wouldn't have OOD milk/cooked meat of course. But if it's totally edible like some out of date red lentils, why does it matter?

[SleepingStandingUp]

@Oldsu

It would depend on the colour of the Dye, Pink, Purple or bright colours may not be appropriate, but Blonde, Brown Black and even Red would be of use, my DHs Charity shop often has hair dye donated, and unless the box has been opened he puts them out for sale, they tend to sell very well

Why wouldn't bright colours to appropriate?

[PrelovedWithValue]

It would depend on the colour of the Dye, Pink, Purple or bright colours may not be appropriate, but Blonde, Brown Black and even Red would be of use

What difference does the colour make? Genuinely confused by that comment

[Feelingconfused2020]

I suspect the out of date food, in many cases, might just be a mistake. We have a lot of older people at our church who regularly bring 1 or 1 items of food for the food bank I suspect they have just taken things out of their cupboards and don't check/care about dates. Plenty of us wouldn't think about dates on tins and things.

[MargaretThursday]

I've got a pile of donated stuff at work to take to the foodbank later this week. One item donated is hair dye. I checked and they're happy to take it, so just because yours doesn't doesn't mean none do.

[porridgecake]

I have donated things like tooth brushes, small tubes of toothpaste, soap, hand lotion, sanpro, wipes. I certainly wouldn't donate out of date stuff or opened stuff though.
Our local foodbank publishes a list of the sort of things they need at any given time, which is very useful.

[backinthebox]

It’s a thin line to tread sometimes between donating to a food bank, not wasting things, and not insulting someone by giving them opened items. My friends and I often pass things on to each other that would be considered ‘degrading’ going by some of the posts on this thread. When one of my kids needed to move up a nappy size, I would give her the remaining unused nappies from any part-used packets for her slightly younger children. I wouldn’t give that sort of thing to a food bank as it is an open packet, but now with apps like Olio I would certainly offer it on there, as I hate to waste things and someone might need it.

I also gave a massive stack of tins with about 1-3 months to go this year to a food bank. I hope I was not seen as offloading. My father stayed with me for a bit when he was ill, and was craving some things I wouldn’t eat, such as Fray Bentos steak pies and tinned prunes. They stayed in my pantry in case he was at mine again and wanted some of these things, but he died. Rather than waste them I gave them to a food bank, and now worry I have come across as demeaning as the pies only had a couple of months to go on them. However, I would happily eat tinned goods (that I do eat) past their best by date. Tinned goods last for a very long time!

I now only give items that are specifically requested, and everything else is given away via internet groups, where it’s ok to state that something is opened or nearing its best by date. I’m sure people don’t give stuff away just to dump it, but because they want to try and find somewhere it will be used instead of thrown away.

[Grenlei]

We have a local FB group that donates food bags, short dated and out of date foods (with anything fresh it's usually only dated same day rather than out of date but some store cupboard stuff might be older) though of course still perfectly fine to eat. Yet recipients still moan that it's out of date etc.

I see no problem with out of date packet food. Nor hair dye - again I see that given away often on FB.

[oakleaffy]

Only donate what you yourself would be happy to receive.

[RedactedTaeFeck]

DS volunteered at the food bank for a while. He was told food past it's BBE date is okay if it's reasonably close.

[RedactedTaeFeck]

I would be perfectly happy to use a jar of pasta sauce or a tin of beans/soup up to a month past the BBE and pasta/noodles/flour etc even more.

[hoodathunkit]

I have some quite expensive purple shampoo and some hair toner, all new and unopened.

I was thinking of donating them to a food bank along with some tinned emergency items I bought to last me over possible quarantine (all within use by dates).

Had my first jab and was thinking of donating them. Should I not?

[Seasidevibes]

I think hair dye is a nice thing to put in, but hard to match to recipient? Also think makeup and toiletries are nice a d useful, many people receiving items from food banks are still in work, and turning up to work not looking like poop in a pandemic feels nice.

[oakleaffy]

I knew someone who was given donated toiletries, they said ''This shampoo feels empty?''
Sure enough, it only had a third left in it.

Who would think of donating 3/4 used hair shampoo?

Would the donor want to receive such a thing?

Probably not.

[panickpanickpanick]

Hair dye could really give someone a little boost.

[oakleaffy]

@hoodathunkit

I have some quite expensive purple shampoo and some hair toner, all new and unopened.

I was thinking of donating them to a food bank along with some tinned emergency items I bought to last me over possible quarantine (all within use by dates).

Had my first jab and was thinking of donating them. Should I not?

If new and unopened, go ahead!

That ''Optical brightener'' purple/blue shampoo is expensive, so someone would like too have it :)