We all deserve to have a fully stocked refrigerator and plenty of food on the table. But the unfortunate reality is that knowing you’ll have access to three meals a day is a privilege not everyone has. And it’s even more upsetting to think about when you realize how much food we throw away every single day.

One dad who knows what it’s like to have to scavenge for his next meal has developed a hatred for wasting food. So when he found out that his wife had thrown away groceries that looked perfectly fine, he decided to teach her a lesson. Below, you’ll find the full story that the father shared on Reddit, as well as some of the reactions readers had to his post.

This father absolutely hates wasting food

Image credits: molenira/Envato (not the actual photo)

So when he found perfectly good groceries in the trash, he decided to prove a point to his wife

Image credits: RossHelen/Envato (not the actual photo)

Image credits: zamrznutitonovi/Envato (not the actual photo)

Image credits: jukilypoo

One billion meals are wasted around the globe every single day

Image credits: Sarah Chai/Pexels (not the actual photo)

If you’re anything like me, an item that’s a few days expired won’t scare you at all. And if I realize that something in my fridge is about to hit its expiration date, I’ll go out of my way to ensure that my partner and I eat it as quickly as possible, even if that means overdosing on tofu for a few days. 

My fear of food waste comes primarily from a place of frugality, as I hate the idea of wasting money as well. But it turns out that there are plenty of reasons why we should all work on limiting how much food we throw away.

According to the UNEP Food Waste Index Report, homes across the globe waste a whopping 1 billion meals every single day in 2022. Meanwhile, 783 million people are affected by hunger, and one third of the population faces food insecurity. Over 1 billion tons of food was thrown away in 2022, and if you’re assuming restaurants are the problem, think again.

60% of food waste occurs in our homes, while the food service industry is only responsible for 28% of food waste. Retail also accounts for 12% of food waste. And unsurprisingly, the United States is a huge contributor to this issue. The U.S. Department of Agriculture reports that the country throws away about 30-40% of its total food supply.

Food waste creates a significant amount of greenhouse gases

Image credits: Macjoy Peñaredondo/Pexels (not the actual photo)

So why does so much food end up being tossed? Well, the USDA explains that spoilage is a huge factor, as well as equipment malfunction. But consumers also play a huge role in food waste by buying more than they’ll eat, failing to eat what they’ve bought before it goes bad and failing to save leftovers and instead just tossing them in the trash.

Many retailers are also responsible for ordering more than what they can sell. So if items hit their expiration dates while they’re still on the shelves, they’re going to end up in the dumpster.  

As far as why we should care so much about food waste, it’s an environmental disaster, for starters. All of this food that’s been thrown away, and often ends up in landfills, is a huge contributor to the climate crisis thanks to the greenhouse gases it produces.

Not to mention the fact that food production is already creating a significant amount of CO2 emissions, the USDA reports. We’re producing far too much food in the United States, and when a significant amount of it ends up in landfills, it starts creating methane. 

Another reason why we should be limiting our food waste is because there are plenty of people out there who would happily eat your groceries before they start to rot. According to CNBC, one in eight households in the U.S. struggles with food insecurity.

We should all be working on reducing and preventing food waste

Image credits: Andrea Piacquadio/Pexels (not the actual photo)

So what can we do to prevent groceries from being thrown away? First, The Environmental Protection Agency recommends resisting the urge to buy more than you need. This will also help you cut down your grocery bill! Be strategic when shopping, and bring a list of all of the items you know you’ll eat before they go bad. 

And don’t forget to check expiration dates at the store. There’s no point in buying something in bulk that’s on sale if you have to eat it all tomorrow. Once you get your groceries home, make sure you store them properly, so they’ll last as long as possible.

If you find yourself with food that’s going to expire that you know you won’t get around to eating in time, or food that you simply didn’t like and won’t finish, donate it. If it’s sealed, drop it off at a homeless shelter. If it’s open but still good, offer it to friends and family members to prevent it from going to waste. And if you really have to throw it away, make sure that it’s composted, either at home or through a community composting program.

We would love to hear your thoughts on this situation in the comments below, pandas. Do you think this father was wrong to make dinner out of groceries that had been in the trash? Or was he just preventing food from going to a landfill? Feel free to share, and then check out this Bored Panda piece discussing even more ways to prevent waste!

Many readers took the wife’s side, noting that it wasn’t safe to serve food from the garbage can

However, some agreed that it’s best to prevent food waste whenever possible

And others simply shared their thoughts on the situation

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