Earth Day is fast approaching, Internet. In fact, it’s tomorrow. In the holiday spirit, check out this article on supermarkets and what they throw away. It turns out that when food reaches its “sell by” date, supermarkets tend to just throw it out. That means a single store can throw out tons of food (literally tons) per year. However, some community-minded stores have started programs in which the expired food (which will probably be safe to eat for a few days at least after the sell by date) is donated to food banks and homeless shelters. Not only does this cut down on waste, but donations of perishable food are incredibly valuable for these organizations, which get a lot of non-perishables, like canned foods, but really lack fruits, vegetables, and meats. The article lists five major supermarket chains and details their food disposal policies.
I think articles like this are really cool. First, I totally hadn’t thought of donating expired food that is still perfectly edible, and I just like that idea. Second, I think lists like these comparing supermarkets can potentially be a big help in changing food systems. Part of what WOYP is trying to accomplish is to show people the ways that local, organic food systems can benefit communities. If people start thinking about the larger community when they choose where to buy groceries, big supermarkets will take local and organic ideas into account when they decide how to run their stores. There aren’t laws requiring extra food to be donated to those who need it instead of thrown away, but if people look at this article and keep it in mind when they shop at one supermarket instead of another, even big companies like Wal-Mart might have to wake up and realize that people expect supermarkets to be responsible within their communities.
