Wednesday What The What: Food Waste

Food waste at a local supermarket

It’s hard to understand why supermarkets would throw away tons of perfectly edible food. This photo was taken by a food rescue group that checks the bins of local green markets and rescues the fresh fruit, vegetables, herbs and breads that would have otherwise rotted away in landfills.

Gross factor aside, there are hundreds of concerned citizens devoted to feeding themselves, their families and the homeless with the bounty of the bins. One such dumpster diver said that he’s rescued over $350 worth of food in a single night. For many, that is a fortune of food in the trash.

Tell us readers, would you ever eat greens rescued from a garbage bin? What should supermarkets do with their produce, toss it or make the extra effort to donate it?

“Wednesday What the What?” is a new photo feature looking at odd, weird and interesting things in the neighborhood. If you have photos of what the what happenings in Bensonhurst, Bath Beach, Dyker Heights or the surrounding areas send them to lvladimirova [at] bensonhurstbean [dot] com.