THE statistics for food waste are appalling.
More than two-thirds of supermarket bagged salad ends up in the bin and nearly half of all bakery products.
A simple solution is to eat more. Not the croissants and cream cookies, of course, for that way lies obesity and stardom on Channel 5 documentaries.
Eat more salad. It won't kill you. The weans might even try the green stuff if there is a bit of extra colour and flavour.
Mango for a hint of Asia or mozzarella for a taste of Italy. These items can be expensive so shoplifting may have to be involved.
If food mountains are to be tackled, hone proletarian shopping skills. You may not be able to conceal a mango down your underpants but at least try a bag of buffalo mozzarella.
The supermarkets must be persuaded to do more to cut waste.
Given the lack of success in selling salad items, let's not bother with the carrot and go directly to the stick.
If Tesco et al had to pay zillions of pounds a year in a Waste Food Tax, they might make greater efforts to see less produce ended up as landfill.
Genuine bargains at lower prices would also help.
And if there was more efficient delivery of free fresh produce to food banks we would not need to indulge in the aforementioned shoplifting.
The most effective answer to waste is for individuals to take control of shopping habits and buy only what they know they are going to eat. This is best done on a daily basis.
As a part-time pensioner (still training for freedom) I have time to wander about the shops. I try to make every potato a prisoner.
Only buy the exact number of ingredients for the plat du jour.
Which is why the Waitrose basket may have the one big tattie, a few carrots, an onion, and whatever bit of fish or meat is on special offer.
Sadly, there is rarely an option to buy one stick or two of celery instead of a whole bunch.
Parents will argue they do not have time for such canny minimalist shopping. So send the weans instead.
They will be up for this if it can be done using the iPad or similar electronic plaything. Make it into an interesting game.
Use the smart new Going for the Messages app I have just invented.
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