Monday 9 August 2010

Waste


This post has been brewing with me for a few weeks now, after coming back from our middle daughter's Graduation. Of course, all her belongings had to come back with her. She flat-shared with several others. Some were travelling home on the train. Some were flying back home. They took the bare minimum. It is hard enough seeing decent food being thrown in the bin - and this is something that happens at the end of every University year - perfectly good food chucked away. I will admit to rescuing a few tins . . . I understand this is often a regular occurrence throughout termtime anyway - with students saying that this or that has been in the cupboard a while now, we'll throw it and buy a new packet. Old bread is thrown each week when a new loaf is bought - not used up for toast. Something is past - or even NEAR it's sell by or best before date - bin it . . . My eldest daughter was not one of these, as we didn't have the money to support such a profligate lifestyle, and she learned early on to make sixpence do the work of a shilling.

As I said, that was bad enough, but to see kitchen utensils, china, pans, thermos flasks (some of this never used), bedding and even clothes just chucked in the bin really upset me. Only one family bothered to take anything to a nearby charity shop - they were flying home to Europe. I have never seen such wastage. I can only assume it happens across the country, at every University, yet with a little forethought - these students had had time on their hands since their exams - surely the stuff they didn't need could have been taken to a charity shop - even the day before leaving. Why can't someone in each building take responsibility for the collection and donation of unwanted belongings? Why not just ask various charities to arrange to come and collect stuff? Why not put perfectly good food in boxes to be collected by charities for the homeless or even local people who struggle to make ends meet?

It makes my blood boil to think of such waste. It would take some organizing, but surely some good should come out of all this conspicuous consumption? Surely this easy come, easy go attitude is going to be carried on through life . . . no need for thrift, no considering the needs of others less fortunate, no charity . . .

As if to underline how hard life was, not so many years ago, I will mention a book I found at the car boot sale this weekend: Recipes from Scotland by F Marian McNeill. Originally published in 1946, my copy is a 1956 reprint. I suspect many of the recipes are very old ones, but gosh, there was absolutely NOTHING WASTED. Crappit Heids (Stuffed Haddock Heads) was one example, where the haddock heads were stuffed with minced fresh haddock livers and seasoned oatmeal and cooked in a little fish stock. Then there was Skirlie (Skirl-in-the-pan) made with oatmeal, suet or dripping and onions and seasoning. The oatmeal absorbed the fat (this was melted in a hot pan and the onion fried in it first). A note says that "Skirlie may be served as an accompaniment to minced steak, roast grouse, etc. In cottage homes it is often served as a main dish, with a border of creamed potatoes." Two more economical meals it is hard to think of, and those good wives north of the border would be spinning widdershins in their graves if they saw today's wastage.

10 comments:

  1. Oh I agree! My sons GF said when the term ended and they all headed home, they emptied the freezer in their rented house, to throw away LOADS of food, including steaks and fish. I asked why they hadnt given it to their neighbours, but she said they were all students too. Maybe the Uni should hand out, ear the end of term, a sheet of useful contacts for disposing of food and household goods.

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  2. I agree with you Kath. It is SUCH a waste. I know my eldest daughter said that everyone in her shared house ate right royally the last week or so to get rid of the good food that was still in the freezer.

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  3. I'm sad to read of such waste too. I couldn't afford to buy steak as a student, let alone throw it away. Sell by, use by and best before dates was something we completely ignored - or was a way of getting cheap food at knock down prices. I think Kath's right - a bit of education is required.

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  4. Yes - I think several generations have grown up when there has been plentiful food around. During the war my mother and father lived quite frugally. Before the war they were quite poor and had to watch every penny. But until the day she died my mother would never waste anything. Two uneaten crusts would produce a bread and butter pudding and jolly good it was too.

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  5. I agree BB, resuced loads of things from Uni, pot plants, plates etc but Lancaster Uni has it very own charity shop which is very busy think thay all should do it.

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  6. At least ONE of them is thinking then. I feel a letter to the newspapers coming on!

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  7. I love the idea of you skip diving at the uni! Aberdeen Uni has a coordinator whos job is exactly as you wished for, other times he organises allotments and freecycle type activities for the students, as well as promoting local shopping sustainability etc,

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  8. Sounds like the sort of job I would enjoy doing :D

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  9. These kids have not lived through depressions and World Wars. I have a hard time throwing even milk away after it has gone bad and believe me that doesn't happen very often. I shop too carefully. As students in the 60's we ran out of money twice. Not a happy place to be. For a while we lived on Spam , tomatoes (height of the season, so cheap) and corn on the cob, also in season. Doesn't sound too bad a diet even now.

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  10. I would be shocked and upset also! I wonder how these same students would do if a depression or economic downslide hit them? Do you think too much was handed to them and they didn't have to work for it? My 18yo son took a job with better pay in another province this summer just so he could afford university...he has to pay his own way and would never think to waste like that. My dds are also frugal and love to shop at thrift/charity shops. I think we need to show by example that everything we have is a gift not to be taken for granted ot tossed aside when there is so much poverty in this world.
    Thanks for sharing...I understand how you feel!
    If you sent in a letter, I think it would hit a cord of understanding and you would get a huge response.
    Thanks again,
    Joanne

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