What are common practices that you feel are wasteful? What's a solution?

[bobcat]

In this country we throw away so much food that is still good, and yet so many don't have enough to eat. Even canned goods past their expiration get thrown out, even though many are still safe 2 to 5 years after. It's just the quality that may be reduced a little. Make it available to those who don't care about that.

 

[Pepper]

Why should food quality be sacrificed when it comes to feeding people who have less to pay for, or no money to pay for, food? We can afford for them to eat Unexpired goods. It's the will to do so we have sacrificed.

 

[RadishRose]

Buying water in plastic bottles.
Use tap water and refillable bottles.

 

[hearlady]

Why should food quality be sacrificed when it comes to feeding people who have less to pay for, or no money to pay for, food? We can afford for them to eat Unexpired goods. It's the will to do so we have sacrificed.

But the food banks and others won't take expired food. It's best left on the side of the road near a tent city.
Food waste is an incredible problem!
I am a master of leftovers.

 

[Brookswood]

Most canned and packaged food has a best by date. It does not expire. I eat plenty of packaged foods that are a year or two or three past their best by date. It’s still quite good, any quality loss is minimal. If low income people don’t want it, I eat it myself.

Produce and fresh baked goods are not included above. They go bad too fast.

if it’s a use by date, I toss it after the date.

what I don’t understand is those K cups for coffee. I know people who fuss if a plastic bag is tossed in the trash, but the same fussy people toss three or four K cups in the trash every day. And the coffee isn’t even that good.

 

[Brookswood]

Also wasteful is the two sheets of paper I get telling me in 8 different languages about my rights under some law. In these days of computers I should be able to indicate the language I speak and just get that.

or better yet ask to get the reminder just once a year.

 

[VaughanJB]

In modern times, Vaping. Vaping has helped to create a mountain of plastic throwaway nonsense.

Quite why vaping has caught on with non-smokers remains a mystery.

 

[officerripley]

Everybody (I'm looking at you, Huzz) insisting on living so far out from everything that you have to drive everywhere. There really are places with reliable public transportation that are perfectly good places to live. But some people seem to actually like to drive, ugh, I hate it myself, ick ick ick.

 

[bobcat]

In modern times, Vaping. Vaping has helped to create a mountain of plastic throwaway nonsense.

Quite why vaping has caught on with non-smokers remains a mystery.

Must be a reason, but I'm pretty ignorant about it, so I have no answer.

 

[VaughanJB]

Must be a reason, but I'm pretty ignorant about it, so I have no answer.

My wife is a smoker. I bought her a vape and it basically went straight in the garbage. Addictions, huh?

 

[ArnoldC]

Beer bottles. Why not recycle them? Back in the 1950s, recall my dad bringing home beer in a heavy cardboard box. Empties went back in the carton for return and refill of exchange for refund. There was a refundable deposit on all of the bottles.

These days, mine go into recycle but to me even that is a waste of resources.

Same may be said about so many other bottled beverages.

 

[bobcat]

Beer bottles. Why not recycle them? Back in the 1950s, recall my dad bringing home beer in a heavy cardboard box. Empties went back in the carton for return and refill of exchange for refund. There was a refundable deposit on all of the bottles.

These days, mine go into recycle but to me even that is a waste of resources.

Same may be said about so many other bottled beverages.

I like the idea. It's like re-using canning jars. Just sterilize, and then fill them back up. I think that's how milk companies used to work.

 

[Paco Dennis]

Isn't this kind of a political question? you know, if your conservative or liberal?

 

[papa tiger]

Well heck all these road blocking reasons to celebrate Father's day.
Heck it's all about votes cause its politicians who order all the road closures.
The Weekend is great, heck with all the celebrations. You don't see road closures
for the mamas. You know why's mama's day on Rainy day Stormy Tornado wreck weekends?
Why not Mama & Pappa's Day the same Weekend in August? Sure, the killings would still happen.

 

[bobcat]

Isn't this kind of a political question? you know, if your conservative or liberal?

Hadn't really thought of it in that light. Just whether something is wasteful or not.

 

[MarkinPhx]

Showers. I am guilty of it. I take one everyday. I know I can get by not taking one everyday especially if I am not going out that day or just planning a shopping trip but I do not feel "right" unless I do take one.

 

[Jules]

Beer bottles. Why not recycle them?

Same may be said about so many other bottled beverages.

We (British Columbia) pay a 10 cent deposit on all drink containers - glass, aluminum or plastic. This includes each plastic bottle used for bottled water. It’s refunded when you return them and they are reused/recycled. Ontario doesn’t have the deposit on their water bottles, tsk tsk. I don’t know about other provinces.

 

[Brookswood]

Isn't this kind of a political question? you know, if your conservative or liberal?

Come now Paco. Surely you realize that any political division over recycling glass bottles is simply nonsense invented by people who want to divide us for their own benefit.

The best way to handle waste is certainly up for discussion. But, it’s not worth fighting over. That fighting is the real waste.

 

[Jules]

In cold weather running your vehicle for 10 or 15 minutes to keep it warm. Or vice versa, in hot weather running your AC. It’ll heat up or cool down, whichever is needed in a couple of minutes after you start your car. I see this all the time in parking lots.

 

[Jules]

Why should food quality be sacrificed when it comes to feeding people who have less to pay for, or no money to pay for, food? We can afford for them to eat Unexpired goods. It's the will to do so we have sacrificed.

But since the food banks are begging for food, we should allow them to distribute as needed. I know some of our charities are allowed to put these items on the shelves so people have the choice. My SIL owned a grocery store (different province) and he had to throw away everything that was stale dated.

 

[MarkinPhx]

Packaging used on certain products. I don't have a solution to it but it seems like a lot of plastic is used when certain items are packaged.

 

[papa tiger]

I like the idea. It's like re-using canning jars. Just sterilize, and then fill them back up. I think that's how milk companies used to work.

10 years ago, returning a Electric Water heater for Recycle cost $20

 

[Bretrick]

In cold weather running your vehicle for 10 or 15 minutes to keep it warm.

Where I live there are three residents who sit in their car with the engine running for 10 - 15 minutes while they are texting away. Even when they come home.
Such a waste.

 

[Bretrick]

Packaging used on certain products. I don't have a solution to it but it seems like a lot of plastic is used when certain items are packaged.

Years ago there was a discussion about reducing packaging. Since then packaging seems to have tripled or quadrupled.

 

[mrstime]

We (British Columbia) pay a 10 cent deposit on all drink containers - glass, aluminum or plastic. This includes each plastic bottle used for bottled water. It’s refunded when you return them and they are reused/recycled. Ontario doesn’t have the deposit on their water bottles, tsk tsk. I don’t know about other provinces.

And milk cartons!