Ship of Fools: Food waste

Thread: Food waste Board: Purgatory / Ship of Fools.

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Posted by Ian Climacus (# 944) on :

I'm watching a series on waste in our lives, and the first was on food waste. I was rather shocked, and appalled, at the food that was rejected at fruit farms due to it not meeting "regulations" on size and shape and attractiveness set by retailers.

The show ponders if it is consumer requests for perfect fruit, or stores guessing what consumers want, and seems to go for the latter. I'm not too sure.

Have there been solutions to this put in place around the world you know of? I know I am, worryingly, finding myself rifling through the fruit to look for the least bruised, most comely shape, etc. and try to stop myself.

I used to despair of a future where all food would come in pill form. But seeing the amount of waste I ponder if that would be such a bad thing. I'd miss the taste and texture and act of a meal, especially with friends or family, but the sheer scale of food waste at the farm level, let alone the supermarket level (thankfully some goes to charities) and home level (living alone and shopping daily I do waste little) apalled me. And made me realised how ignorant I am.

Posted by Curiosity killed ... (# 11770) on :

Food waste has been highlighted in the UK. We have had a number of food programmes showing what can be produced from waste food or campaigning against waste, including Hugh's War on Waste and The Great British Waste Menu and campaigns like Love Food Hate Waste and the Sustainable Food Trust.

Then there are Food Waste Restaurants starting up all over the UK, including a new one on the roof of Selfridges.

Posted by Schroedinger's cat (# 64) on :

I think there is another aspect - sell by/best before dates. Such a lot of food is wasted because it cannot be sold or won;t be bought past these dates.

But fresh produce - yes. I eat fruit and sometimes it has started to go bad (normally just a mark or the start). And it is fine usually. So I have no problems with old fruit. And mostly, it is fine.

So yes, we waste far too much. However, many places have improved, there is progress. Which is good.

Posted by Ricardus (# 8757) on :

One thing I don't understand is: surely even if consumers are picky about the appearance of fruit, the grocery shelves are only one of many places where fruit ends up? If an apple is too manky for the fruit counter, surely it can still be turned into apple juice, or cider, or pre-made apple crumble, or frozen apple strudl, or ...

Posted by sharkshooter (# 1589) on :

The stores could have dual pricing, one for "perfect", and one for "imperfect". Some people, who are more budget-constrained might appreciate that.

Posted by Schroedinger's cat (# 64) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Ricardus:
One thing I don't understand is: surely even if consumers are picky about the appearance of fruit, the grocery shelves are only one of many places where fruit ends up? If an apple is too manky for the fruit counter, surely it can still be turned into apple juice, or cider, or pre-made apple crumble, or frozen apple strudl, or ...

To some extent this does happen. But from a farmers perspective, if they don't have the outlets for other than supermarket shelves, it is hard to arrange something for a small portion of waste.

Posted by Ian Climacus (# 944) on :

quote:
Originally posted by sharkshooter:
The stores could have dual pricing, one for "perfect", and one for "imperfect". Some people, who are more budget-constrained might appreciate that.

This has actually happened in one of our two big supermarkets and in a smaller chain grocer. But it is a small section. I was just appalled at the tonnes of fruit thrown out at the farm...let alone retailers. Are we growing too much? But they need to grow that much to sell enough "good" fruit to the retailers.

Posted by ThunderBunk (# 15579) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Schroedinger's cat:
To some extent this does happen. But from a farmers perspective, if they don't have the outlets for other than supermarket shelves, it is hard to arrange something for a small portion of waste.

If our farmers were of a less neanderthal mentality, it would be screamingly obvious that this is where cooperatives come in. Because they would rather die a thousand deaths than work together, this is what we are forced to accept.

Posted by Curiosity killed ... (# 11770) on :

But there are Farmers' Cooperatives, but they don't always work - the Milk Marketing Board folded with the deregulation of British Milk Market under the Agriculture Act 1993.

Farmers do sell to other outlets - organic boxes and farm shops

Posted by Enoch (# 14322) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Ricardus:
One thing I don't understand is: surely even if consumers are picky about the appearance of fruit, the grocery shelves are only one of many places where fruit ends up? If an apple is too manky for the fruit counter, surely it can still be turned into apple juice, or cider, or pre-made apple crumble, or frozen apple strudl, or ...

Not necessarily the same varieties of apple. Cider is usually made from specific cider varieties and crumble from cookers like Bramleys.

Posted by ThunderBunk (# 15579) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Curiosity killed ...:
But there are Farmers' Cooperatives, but they don't always work - the Milk Marketing Board folded with the deregulation of British Milk Market under the Agriculture Act 1993.

Farmers do sell to other outlets - organic boxes and farm shops

You don't hear stories of producers in the rest of Europe being bullied by those who control the mechanism of sale of their produce; or if you do, there is usually pretty robust action being taken. This is because it is routinely, if not universally sold through co-operatives. It's not a perfect mechanism of course, but it beats our "plucky little Englander" bollocks hands down, and allows for economies of scale in dealing with questions such as this - also pressing of olives and grapes, for example.

Co-operatives fail in our culture because of the neanderthal nature of that culture which would rather trust an enemy than a friend, because an friend is only an enemy that hasn't attacked you yet.

Posted by sabine (# 3861) on :

Here's an interesting idea.

Rescued food supermarket in Australia

sabine

Posted by Gramps49 (# 16378) on :

What gets me is when customers as the store where I am working pull out a frozen or refrigerated item and then decide not to buy it when they get to the cashier. Once it is out of the refrigerator or freezer we cannot restock it because there is really no way we can determine how long it has been exposed to warm(er) temperatures. We throw out more food than we would like. And, because we through out food, we have to raise our cost to consumers to cover the lost items. It becomes a vicious cycle.

Americans have this fixation with keeping things cold. If the eggs have never been refrigerated, they can be left out in a cool place for up to a week. If the eggs have been refrigerated and you take them out of the fridge, then no longer than a day.

Posted by rolyn (# 16840) on :

Another factor regarding the obsession with perfect fruit, veg etc. is the amount of chemical it has to be doused with in order to get it looking right.
Wouldn't surprise me if this is the cause of some cancers in folk who ironically try to pursue healthy lifestyles. But then who can be blamed, supplier, shop or shopper ? The fact is customers rummage through baskets of fruit to find the best looking apple and reject the rest.

Posted by simontoad (# 18096) on :

quote:
Originally posted by rolyn:
Another factor regarding the obsession with perfect fruit, veg etc. is the amount of chemical it has to be doused with in order to get it looking right.
Wouldn't surprise me if this is the cause of some cancers in folk who ironically try to pursue healthy lifestyles. But then who can be blamed, supplier, shop or shopper ? The fact is customers rummage through baskets of fruit to find the best looking apple and reject the rest.

Follow the money and you'll get to the culprits - although at the end of the day its probably my superannuation fund, so don't do that [Smile]

Posted by lilBuddha (# 14333) on :

quote:
Originally posted by rolyn:
Another factor regarding the obsession with perfect fruit, veg etc. is the amount of chemical it has to be doused with in order to get it looking right.

And, for some varieties, giving up taste for that appearance. Growers breed varieties that are less likely to bruise or have a certain size or shape. Taste is a secondary consideration.

Posted by Jonah the Whale (# 1244) on :

quote:
Originally posted by ThunderBunk:

quote:
Originally posted by Curiosity killed ...:
But there are Farmers' Cooperatives, but they don't always work - the Milk Marketing Board folded with the deregulation of British Milk Market under the Agriculture Act 1993.
Co-operatives fail in our culture because of the neanderthal nature of that culture which would rather trust an enemy than a friend, because an friend is only an enemy that hasn't attacked you yet.

Wrong. As Curiosity pointed out, but you ignored despite quoting, the Milk Marketing Board used to offer a guaranteed price for its members. It did this in a pretty satisfactory way for half a century until it was abolished by the Government, not by neanderthal-brained farmers.

Posted by mr cheesy (# 3330) on :

Fwiw, many British milk producers are still in co-operatives. That hasn't stopped problems with fluctuations in price.

On food waste, I'd suggest that most people are addressing the wrong part of the equation. Whilst there certainly is a lot of wastage at the consumer end, a lot more actually happens before it even gets to them.

It seems like this is an inevitable part of a system that produces such high quantities of food, and no amount of saving in the home will undo these problems.

I'd also say that it is a misconception that farmers markets are any kind of solution to this for lots of reasons I could bore you all with. To take just one - a farmer at a market once told me that he typically could only sell a percentage of his crop at the farmers market and instead of selling the rest at a wholesale market, ploughed it back in. That's a pointless source of waste just there.

Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :

At the consumer end, smaller or more flexible packaging would save a lot of waste. I'm single and live alone. I can't get through, let's say six ears of corn before a couple of them go bad. And I don't want to eat corn twice a day for several days. I can't eat three pounds of grapes, or a sack of oranges. Freezing doesn't work for a lot of items.

Grocery stores used to sell more produce loose, but apparently the reason for pre-packaging is that the packages can have price codes stamped on, and loose produce has to be weighed at the register, which slows down the process and requires cashiers to be educated in different types of fruits and veggies. Some stores (e.g., Trader Joes') don't even have scales at the register.

Posted by mr cheesy (# 3330) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Pigwidgeon:
At the consumer end, smaller or more flexible packaging would save a lot of waste. I'm single and live alone. I can't get through, let's say six ears of corn before a couple of them go bad. And I don't want to eat corn twice a day for several days. I can't eat three pounds of grapes, or a sack of oranges. Freezing doesn't work for a lot of items.

But then you have a problem with excess packaging. Cue the complaints about shrink-wrapped bananas.

Posted by lilBuddha (# 14333) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Pigwidgeon:

Grocery stores used to sell more produce loose, but apparently the reason for pre-packaging is that the packages can have price codes stamped on, and loose produce has to be weighed at the register, which slows down the process and requires cashiers to be educated in different types of fruits and veggies.

I think it is more than just that. Consumers want more for their money and they want a better perceived value.
Retailers can sell multiples for a less per unit price, but making more profit because they are selling more units per transaction.

Posted by Amanda B. Reckondwythe (# 5521) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Pigwidgeon:
I can't get through, let's say six ears of corn before a couple of them go bad.

They freeze nicely, though. Cook 'em all up and wrap some in cellophane for storage in the freezer. I do the same with fresh asparagus.

[ 12. June 2017, 15:06: Message edited by: Amanda B. Reckondwythe ]

Posted by HCH (# 14313) on :

This is a familiar problem with bananas.

I have found that milk nearly always spoils before I can use all of it.

Posted by Amanda B. Reckondwythe (# 5521) on :

quote:
Originally posted by HCH:
I have found that milk nearly always spoils before I can use all of it.

I will buy two pints of milk rather than one quart. It's a little more expensive but at least one of the pints will remain unopened (and less prone to spoilage) while I use up the opened one.

Yes, bananas are a problem. But they will ripen more slowly if kept in a tightly sealed container, even if only a Baggie.

Posted by no prophet's flag is set so... (# 15560) on :

Bananas freeze very well. You can then thaw and remove the peels, they will be mostly black and mushy and look awful, but you'll get used to it. They can be put into anything baked, like muffins and bread, run through a blender with whatever liquids you like. We put some into pancakes yesterday.

Oranges freeze if you peel first and divide up, Grapes also freeze. They are quite nice eaten semi-thawed.

Milk also freezes, use in baking as well.

I realize that many people don't really cook or bake, which is perhaps one of the problems with spoilage. Having grown up with incompetent parental cooks, - my mother liked to stand openned tins of things in a frying pan with an inch of water in it among other things - we cook and make everything.

Posted by Brenda Clough (# 18061) on :

Always keep your milk in the coldest part of your fridge. This means never on the door. The top shelf towards the back is better. Putting the carton there can increase the useable life of your milk amazingly. And buying only what you can use is an excellent tactic. I have been buying single-serving containers.

Posted by Leorning Cniht (# 17564) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Brenda Clough:
Always keep your milk in the coldest part of your fridge. This means never on the door. The top shelf towards the back is better. Putting the carton there can increase the useable life of your milk amazingly.

My fridge laughs at yours [Biased]

(We typically get through 4-5 US gallons of milk in a week. And no, they're not in the door: the door on our fridge isn't big enough to hold a gallon jug. And we don't even have teenagers yet.)

Banana bread is a great way of disposing over over-ripe bananas.

Posted by Brenda Clough (# 18061) on :

If you have teens all bets are off. My son was able to down a gallon of orange juice in one slow steady guzzle.

Posted by anoesis (# 14189) on :

quote:
Originally posted by HCH:
This is a familiar problem with bananas.

I have found that milk nearly always spoils before I can use all of it.

This is a problem for our household, too - and in our case, it's to do with the fact that there's only one person in the family who consumes it. My husband and I (don't I sound like the queen) drink black coffee and don't eat cereal, and my youngest child is allergic to dairy and drinks soy milk. For this reason I don't use milk in cooking either. So I buy UHT milk because it keeps longer, and we don't have to throw any away. The rub there is, it comes in a TetraPak, which are of course unrecycleable. Waste either way.

Posted by anoesis (# 14189) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Ian Climacus:
I'm watching a series on waste in our lives, and the first was on food waste. I was rather shocked, and appalled, at the food that was rejected at fruit farms due to it not meeting "regulations" on size and shape and attractiveness set by retailers.

I have, while a student, worked grading kiwifruit for the export market. It is true, the ratio of reject to acceptable fruit is very high, and sometimes the reasons for rejection seem ridiculous, but in most cases there is some sensible thinking behind them. Fruit that is particularly large, or misshapen in some way, although perfectly fine to eat, cannot be packed properly in the trays, which have moulded depressions to sit fruit in. More packaging waste, you say, but for the journeys and storage times involved, it makes sense to protect against bruising, and to ensure that fruit aren't touching one another, in case of one developing rot. The worst waste comes when fruit have somehow become wet. All of this has to be rejected, and it's usually bucketfuls a second, coming off the line. However, on the whole, this fruit isn't actually thrown away - it gets sold on the local market. I would say that your average NZ'er has never seen an export-grade kiwifruit. There's no need. We eat the rejects, and yeah, most of the time, there's nothing wrong with them.

Posted by Penny S (# 14768) on :

My local authority now accepts Tetrapaks for recycling - don't know how or where they go, but it appears to be possible.

Posted by irreverend tod (# 18773) on :

Examples of saving are:
We get carrots from the farm feed suppliers which are three quid for ten kilo's. They are various shapes and sizes some of which are amusing or obscene in shape so are designated for horse feed... The horse doesn't get many of them.
We also get loads of 'waste' food; fruit, veg and bread which is past it's peak and is given to my uncle for pig feed. To be fair the pigs do get some, but it's still perfectly safe to eat.
Our best is the skip dive from a well known supermarket which yielded so much Ben and Jerrie's we were going door to door looking for freezer space.
As a family we feel it's our Christian duty not to waste and we don't. If more of us did this sort of thing I think things would change.

Posted by Gee D (# 13815) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Penny S:
My local authority now accepts Tetrapaks for recycling - don't know how or where they go, but it appears to be possible.

Ous has for quite a while now. Who cares what happens as long as they are recycled.

Posted by mr cheesy (# 3330) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Gee D:
Ous has for quite a while now. Who cares what happens as long as they are recycled.

Tetrapack recycling is a bit of a contradiction in terms. The problem is that it is basically cardboard coated with plastic, and only the cardboard can be recycled. So there is a destructive process to remove the plastic to get to the cardboard which is worth very little, see for example this.

The basic message is that whilst it might be better to recycle this kind of packaging than not (but this isn't a given, different studies give different results), it is actually better to buy products in alternative packaging.

Of course this isn't always possible.

Posted by Jane R (# 331) on :

Any kind of composite packaging is a nightmare to recycle. Last time I checked there was only one plant in the UK that did Tetrapak recycling, and our council had come to the conclusion that it wasn't worth their while collecting Tetrapaks in the kerbside recycling.

It's the people who say 'recycle your leftover food' who annoy me. Have they never actually met a child? Most of the time, if your baby or small child refuses to eat half their meal you have to throw it away. It is not safe to 'put it in the fridge until later', as the GP will tell you at great length if you rock up at her surgery the following day with food poisoning. And no, there isn't some magic parental supersense that will enable you to work out in advance how much the child is going to eat at that particular meal.

[ 13. June 2017, 08:01: Message edited by: Jane R ]

Posted by mr cheesy (# 3330) on :

I must have a very weird child, because we've never thrown food away from the plate.

Posted by Schroedinger's cat (# 64) on :

quote:
Originally posted by mr cheesy:
I must have a very weird child, because we've never thrown food away from the plate.

You have a very weird child.

Posted by Jane R (# 331) on :

mr cheesy:

quote:
I must have a very weird child...

Yes, you do [Cool]

Posted by Gee D (# 13815) on :

quote:
Originally posted by mr cheesy:

quote:
Originally posted by Gee D:
Ous has for quite a while now. Who cares what happens as long as they are recycled.
Tetrapack recycling is a bit of a contradiction in terms. The problem is that it is basically cardboard coated with plastic, and only the cardboard can be recycled. So there is a destructive process to remove the plastic to get to the cardboard which is worth very little, see for example this.

The basic message is that whilst it might be better to recycle this kind of packaging than not (but this isn't a given, different studies give different results), it is actually better to buy products in alternative packaging.

Of course this isn't always possible.

And there is a particular item that is both an essential pat of our diet and only available (at least here) in a tetra-pak.

Our local council runs a good recycle programme. In addition to a small bin for non-recyclable items, we have a couple of 240 litre bins, one for paper and the other for glass and cans. Finally, there are 360 litre bins for green waste.

[ 13. June 2017, 11:56: Message edited by: Gee D ]

Posted by mr cheesy (# 3330) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Jane R:
Yes, you do

Is that you, dear? [Ultra confused]

Posted by no prophet's flag is set so... (# 15560) on :

Small children: put out a small amount for them. Wait for it to be eaten. Put out another small amount. Repeat. You may either throw put small half eaten small amount at end of meal or eat it yourself. Depending on slobber from child on it, how hungry you are, how tired you are and whether you can see it properly or not due to fatigue.

Posted by Penny S (# 14768) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Gee D:

quote:
Originally posted by mr cheesy:

quote:
Originally posted by Gee D:
Ous has for quite a while now. Who cares what happens as long as they are recycled.
Tetrapack recycling is a bit of a contradiction in terms. The problem is that it is basically cardboard coated with plastic, and only the cardboard can be recycled. So there is a destructive process to remove the plastic to get to the cardboard which is worth very little, see for example this.

The basic message is that whilst it might be better to recycle this kind of packaging than not (but this isn't a given, different studies give different results), it is actually better to buy products in alternative packaging.

Of course this isn't always possible.
And there is a particular item that is both an essential pat of our diet and only available (at least here) in a tetra-pak.

Our local council runs a good recycle programme. In addition to a small bin for non-recyclable items, we have a couple of 240 litre bins, one for paper and the other for glass and cans. Finally, there are 360 litre bins for green waste.

Posted by Ethne Alba (# 5804) on :

Indeed. That happens all the way across our city!

Then the new slim-lined bins came out....apparently because we now recycle so well, as a reward our bins get smaller. Only because they are now So very slim, unless we all remember to use smaller bin nags, the bin bags get stuck. And then not so much general un sorted rubbish can be disposed of.

And yes, folk Do go along the street and casually drop their coke can into a worthy householder's paper recycling bin. Which in turn is NOT emptied, as it's been checked and found to contain the wrong type of recycling. [Mad]

After a few of those, a number of options present:
1) Install a monitor and catch the evil crook at his or her crime. The only problem is that the local police do not take very seriously this crime.
2) Matters are taken into the householder's own hands. this often gets messy, but usually the culprit ( if they are a regular) don't do it again.....
3) Everyone else just gets up fifteen minutes earlier and takes the bins out in the morning....when less anti social activity goes on. Rather than late at night.

But somehow, and i really don't know how, we've all managed to get along fine without fisticuffs in the streets with our binmen. Even when they sticker our bin and accuse us personally of outrageous and heinous activity.

Terraced housing that have ginnels (passages behind them) are forced to store their collection of bins in their small back yards and then on bin day (or the evening before) everyone trundles their bins down the cobbled ginnels and lines their bins up along either the ginned entries....or along the road.
Our roads look very multi coloured and happy on bin day.

Houses have very small front gardens are SOMETIMES (but very rarely) excempted. Round here anyway, the bins valiantly line up outside front windows and to hell with Kerb Side Appeal. So the house prices in those areas go down.

The flats have their own recycling measures, depending on whether they are arm's length managed by housing associations for the council or are privately owned. Usually the facilities for recycling in the flats that i know of anyway...are atrocious. It's up to my friends themselves to take any recycling to the tips.

Dog faeces dumped in may a passing idiot? Yes, i've had that. Our brown bin full of beer bottles from the canal side was not emptied for a full four weeks and stank like heck. But hey. We survive....
.
.
.

Posted by Ethne Alba (# 5804) on :

But we ARE slowly learning and the schools are getting our children to nag us all the time.

So we WILL get there in the end.

Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :

I'm surprised no one has mentioned restaurants -- especially in the U.S., as other countries seem to have more reasonable portions. Most places over here bring you enough food for a family of six. They'll offer to box up your leftovers (the term "doggy bag" seems to have died out), but most food is not as good heated up the next day, and if you're having dinner before the theater, concert, or whatever, you have no way to refrigerate it.

(One exception to this -- a friend and I were eating at a restaurant next door to the theater where we were going after dinner. Our server offered to keep our leftovers in the refrigerator until after the play! It was probably against health regulations.)

Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Pigwidgeon:
I'm surprised no one has mentioned restaurants -- especially in the U.S., as other countries seem to have more reasonable portions. Most places over here bring you enough food for a family of six. They'll offer to box up your leftovers (the term "doggy bag" seems to have died out), but most food is not as good heated up the next day, and if you're having dinner before the theater, concert, or whatever, you have no way to refrigerate it.

(One exception to this -- a friend and I were eating at a restaurant next door to the theater where we were going after dinner. Our server offered to keep our leftovers in the refrigerator until after the play! It was probably against health regulations.)

When we are in the US we buy one meal to share between two of us.

Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Boogie:
When we are in the US we buy one meal to share between two of us.

Unfortunately that doesn't work if you're by yourself or dining with someone with different tastes in food.
[Frown]

It's rather silly (and wasteful) that a restaurant meal is sufficient for two adults, but I'm glad you can do this.
[Smile]

Posted by Mudfrog (# 8116) on :

My wife and I were in Crete the other year and we sat down at a table outside a pizza restaurant where we could see the pizzas being made and baked in the oven.

There were pictures of the pizzas on the menu and when I pointed out the one that looked really nice the waitress said, No, that's not for you, that's for a family; it's too big.

She made us order a smaller one to eat between us.
Can you imagine a teenage boy-server suggesting to someone in Macdonald's, No, that Big Mac is too big for you? Do you want small fries with that?
LOL

Posted by no prophet's flag is set so... (# 15560) on :

Re bins.
For paper, tin cans, glass, it all goes into one bin. These are picked up by a truck which dumps them, and a computer thingy sorts it all.

For drink bottles, tins(cans), milk containers, tetrapaks, no-one puts them into the bins because they are worth money here, depending on size, from 5¢ (less than 350 ml) to 40¢ (over 1 L). The consumer pays this plus a non-refundable additional 3-6¢ when purchasing. The return rate is said to be 82%.

There is an additional initiative to fully ban bottled water in my city at all city run facilities. We're hoping it passes. Bottled water is almost always ridiculous.

Posted by mr cheesy (# 3330) on :

quote:
Originally posted by no prophet's flag is set so...:
Re bins.
For paper, tin cans, glass, it all goes into one bin. These are picked up by a truck which dumps them, and a computer thingy sorts it all.

In this country this is mostly done by hand. Usually by poorly paid Eastern Europeans.

Posted by Gee D (# 13815) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Penny S:

Where do you put all the bins? Places not far from here have very narrow front gardens, or no gardens at all, doors opening onto the footpath? Or there are blocks of flats with nowhere for bin stores. Streets get very cluttered. And people put their waste in the wrong bins as they pass. Dog faeces, for example.

The 4 bins spend most of their time at a path not too far from the laundry door. Either Dlet or I wheel whatever bins are to be emptied out to street the night before. So on Thursday this week, the ordinary rubbish bin will go out along with those for paper, and glass/cans. On Thursday next week, the rubbish and green bins will go out.

Small blocks of units or town houses must have special areas for bins - council requirements as a part of building approval. Large blocks have much larger communal bins.

Posted by Leorning Cniht (# 17564) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Pigwidgeon:

It's rather silly (and wasteful) that a restaurant meal is sufficient for two adults, but I'm glad you can do this.

I live in the US. I have certainly had meals that I didn't want to eat and didn't finish (because they tasted foul) but have never purchased too much food.

A main meal in a restaurant (possibly with starter) is usually a good size for me if I'm hungry. I generally don't eat pudding.

(Decent restaurants, IME, are usually happy to provide a half-portion for things that can reasonably be subdivided, if you have a modest appetite.)

Posted by Amanda B. Reckondwythe (# 5521) on :

As a senior, among the many perks available to me is the "senior menu" at some restaurants, where the portions are smaller and the prices are cheaper. Unfortunately the selection tends to be smaller also.

Another trick I've learned is to order an appetizer instead of a main course. An appetizer combined with soup and some bread usually fills me up.

Posted by Curiosity killed ... (# 11770) on :

There is a documented problem with portion inflation in both the UK and the USA. From a 2015 Cochrane report summarising randomised controlled trials:

quote:
Effects of size on consumption: We found evidence that people consistently ate more food or drank more non-alcoholic drinks when offered larger-sized portions, packages or items of tableware than when offered smaller-sized versions. We estimate the size of this effect to be small to moderate among both children and adults. If an effect of this size were sustained across the whole diet it would be equivalent to around a 12% to 16% change in average daily energy intake from food among UK adults.

Posted by M. (# 3291) on :

Following on from Curiosity Killed's post, although it's possibly a tangent, we bought some new crockery a few years ago. It took us a while to realise that the plates are huge compared to the old set (which, of course, we kept, 'just in case').

We now tend to use the side plates for our main course - they are pretty much the same size as the dinner plates in the old set.

I suppose the trend for huge plates started in restaurants, where you get an enormous plate, with two tiny bits of whatever and a smear of sauce artistically arranged in the middle. At home, the tendency is to fill the plate.

When we were clearing our parent's house, I also noticed the 1970's wine glasses were tiny compared to more recent ones.

M.

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