Food waste is a hot topic, as millions of people worldwide face hunger and food insecurity. Growing awareness of the problem has prompted many to adopt new habits to reduce their impact and eat more sustainably.
One Redditor recently sparked outrage when they posted a video to the r/StupidFood community. The video shows someone making an extravagant shake with overflowing chocolate syrup, a scoop of ice cream, and cookies. While it might satisfy a person with a sweet tooth (it's OK to admit it looks good), Redditors flocked to the post to raise concerns about an increasingly popular food trend.
Food waste memes began to gain in popularity in 2019 when someone on X, formerly known as Twitter, posted a video of themselves throwing away an In-N-Out meal. The trend eventually took off on TikTok during the COVID-19 pandemic. Digital culture expert Jamie Cohen told Eater that posts like these are created as engagement bait.
The viral craze is alarming considering that the United States disposes of 30% to 40% of its food supply annually, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Rather than add more trash to overflowing landfills, wasted food could be used to feed hungry families. Reports indicate that Black Americans were more likely to experience food insecurity during the pandemic than white Americans.
In June, the White House announced it would invest in technology research to extend food's shelf life, including new seed varieties and improved packaging. The initiative also promised to work with schools and farmers to mitigate waste during production.
Others have also committed to tackling food waste. For instance, ExtraFood collects landfill-bound food from supermarkets and distributes it to nonprofits and charities in San Francisco that aim to end hunger.
Apps such as Flashfood and Too Good To Go are also making a difference. The former connects people with fresh food nearing its best-before date, while the latter partners with local restaurants to give customers discounts on surplus or unsold food.
Fellow Redditors were in disbelief at the original poster's video. One commented, "Does it come with a roll of paper towels?"
Another Reddit user said her friend worked somewhere that served extravagant social media-worthy food. "At least half of it would never be finished, the amount of unfinished snacks they would throw away every day was absurd."
🗣️ What's the most common reason you end up throwing away food?
🔘 Bought more than I could eat 🛒
🔘 Went bad sooner than I expected 👎
🔘 Forgot it was in the fridge 😞
🔘 Didn't want leftovers 🥡
🗳️ Click your choice to see results and speak your mind
Finally, one Redditor wondered why people were wasting food when there are "literally ppl who can't even afford groceries with full time jobs in America" — an excellent point.
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