topic Re: Is this a waste? in Community Chat

Is this a waste?

Bestdressed — Sun, 21 Feb 2016 23:03:14 GMT

I went to the grocery store today and was admiring the fresh Spring flowers in the floral department. I was asked if I needed any help in choosing my flowers.

I noticed the florist was discarding a lot of bouquet's in an extra large clear bag. There had to be over 150+ bouquets being thrown away. They actually looked fresh and good enough to be sold. I asked if they were being donated to any organizations such as nursing homes or assisted living homes? She said no, they were being thrown away. They would not allow goods that were not perfect to be donated, and they would be destroyed.

What a waste! My dad's assisted living facility used to get donations and the residents used to make floral arrangements. Another time, when he was in rehab/nursing home they had the type of flowers donated and were handed out to the residents (who wanted them).

I can see if this was a food item, that was past expiration the date.

It makes me sick to see perfectly good items... that could have been donated. I am sure they do the same for the produce department too.

Re: Is this a waste?

Annabellethecat66 — Sat, 20 Feb 2016 03:51:27 GMT

I agree with you totally. You'll see people posting that the government has these rules to protect people and why should the needy get expired food, etc.

I have read that expiration dates don't mean a lot for many things.

We waste so much food. I'm sure if you asked people who are hungry if they'd like some of that throw away food they'd be happy to take it.

It's a case where (like everything in this country) a few rotten apples (suing people) have been allowed to ruin things for people who would like to not go hungry.

I know something about this. When I was a teenager I lived with my sister who was a single mother of 4. We did OK, but there were times when we had to split a box of Chef Boy R Dee (remember that) for dinner. We'd have loved to have had some of that food.

Back then we were luckier because we didn't have all of those stupid government regulations in our lives.

Re: Is this a waste?

Venezia — Sat, 20 Feb 2016 03:54:30 GMT

So contact the head office of the grocery store and suggest what you've just said here for the same reasons. It can't hurt and it might change policy.

Re: Is this a waste?

Bestdressed — Sat, 20 Feb 2016 04:01:14 GMT

@Venezia wrote:
So contact the head office of the grocery store and suggest what you've just said here for the same reasons. It can't hurt and it might change policy.

I am going to contact their headquarters. It was too late, by the time I came home. This is a major grocery chain (beginning with a "J") here in IL too.

Re: Is this a waste?

ECBG — Sat, 20 Feb 2016 05:52:52 GMT

If you contact the grocery store be sure you have someone willing to transport the flowers. They're not going to have the luxury of someone "on the clock" out doing that.

Re: Is this a waste?

Kachina624 — Sat, 20 Feb 2016 06:18:30 GMT

I can understand why the stores prefer to just throw them out. Too much hassle packaging to take them somewhere else, supplying a receptacle for them, storing them or having to take them somewhere...all very labor intensive. Cheaper to just toss them.

Re: Is this a waste?

Deb1010yetagain — Sat, 20 Feb 2016 09:27:56 GMT

I'd start small and contact the store manager of your local store. First I'd talk to the nursing home administrator and get them on board. Then I'd start with one store and one nursing home location and coordinate something between the two.

If you start at the headquarters it may blow out of proportion too fast and then it becomes infeasible.

Re: Is this a waste?

BlingQueen022 — Sat, 20 Feb 2016 09:40:40 GMT

I would love to read your post and I know you always have good ideas, but it just makes it impossible with that blue against the white background. I just can't strain my eyes anymore. I'm so sorry.

Re: Is this a waste?

Big Sister — Sat, 20 Feb 2016 12:06:04 GMT

Hello, Bestdressed, I do agree with you that it is a terrible waste.

Also, may I mention that reading your post in the green font is very hard on the eyes. Would you consider changing to a darker color or just black?

Re: Is this a waste?

missy1 — Sat, 20 Feb 2016 12:09:58 GMT

Could this have been one-time thing? Valentines was a few days away, and they ordered way too much .

Re: Is this a waste?

Iwantcoffee — Sat, 20 Feb 2016 12:23:32 GMT

You could offer to purchase the flowers at a discount and deliver them to the nursing home, if the nursing home would agree to accept.

Re: Is this a waste?

MomCat — Sat, 20 Feb 2016 13:21:10 GMT

@Annabellethecat66 wrote:

Back then we were luckier because we didn't have all of those stupid government regulations in our lives.

Yes, along with the chance to pay more for products because of all the nonsense. Grrrrr. Don't get me started......

Re: Is this a waste?

ms traditional — Sat, 20 Feb 2016 13:30:26 GMT

i would suggest to the assisted living facility that they be in touch with store, offer to take them off their hands with an offer to pick up on a regular schedule.

Re: Is this a waste?

PenneyT — Sat, 20 Feb 2016 13:34:18 GMT

I wonder if there is some sort of legal reason for throwing the flowers out? A lot of places have stopped 'donating' items because sadly enough they could still be liable if anything happened.

Re: Is this a waste?

Bestdressed — Sat, 20 Feb 2016 14:37:23 GMT

Thanks for all the suggestions. I tossed and turned last night thinking about all the waste in this country, that could be donated.

I am going to call some nursing homes in my area first, to see if they even want the flowers. Then, I will proceed to talk to the grocery store headquarters. This is just a drop in the bucket.

I have a friend that is a manager for a large cosmetic store chain. All their returns must be destroyed before throwing them out. There are cameras everywhere, to make sure this is being done. Again, some of these products were never taken out of the packages or used.

There should be some non-profit national website that store owners could log into, with items to be discarded. There should be a 24 hour time limit that non profit organization could pick up the goods before they are thrown out or destroyed.

I know there are reasons why the stores do this ... but there are starving people in our country. Obviously this bothered me much more, then just a bunch of flowers being thrown out.

Re: Is this a waste?

sidsmom — Sat, 20 Feb 2016 14:57:02 GMT

@ECBG wrote:
If you contact the grocery store be sure you have someone willing to transport the flowers. They're not going to have the luxury of someone "on the clock" out doing that.

@ECBG

Glad you mentioned this.

People forget labor is a luxury for majority of businesses.

If someone believes there's a problem,

THEY should be the solution.

"How can I fix this?"

Re: Is this a waste?

bbsr — Sat, 20 Feb 2016 15:06:17 GMT

I have even seen my supermarket have carts by the door giving things away free. It was leftover Easter or Halloween candy. Perhaps they could put a sign saying "One per customer please." Anything is better than throwing them away.

Re: Is this a waste?

Bestdressed — Sat, 20 Feb 2016 15:12:55 GMT

@sidsmom wrote:
@ECBG wrote:
If you contact the grocery store be sure you have someone willing to transport the flowers. They're not going to have the luxury of someone "on the clock" out doing that.
@ECBG
Glad you mentioned this.
People forget labor is a luxury for majority of businesses.

If someone believes there's a problem,
THEY should be the solution.
"How can I fix this?"

I am not sure what you mean by ...THEY should be the solution?

"Fixing" things is not as easy as it seems... when you are dealing with national companies rules and guidelines.

Yes, I would be willing to pick up the flowers and deliver them to the nursing homes.

Re: Is this a waste?

Sooner — Sat, 20 Feb 2016 15:16:42 GMT

If you volunteer to do something with them, how do they know you won't resell them yourself? I think it is a shame, but unless you have a documented chairty organization or church group willing to do something with these, you should let it go. In today's world that is. . .

Then there is the issue of if they are donated and go somewhere the store might lose a lot of sales because the flowers were already in someone's room and not being bought to go there.

Just hard in today's world to deal with issues like that.

Re: Is this a waste?

Bestdressed — Sat, 20 Feb 2016 15:20:59 GMT

@Sooner wrote:
If you volunteer to do something with them, how do they know you won't resell them yourself? I think it is a shame, but unless you have a documented chairty organization or church group willing to do something with these, you should let it go. In today's world that is. . .

Then there is the issue of if they are donated and go somewhere the store might lose a lot of sales because the flowers were already in someone's room and not being bought to go there.

Just hard in today's world to deal with issues like that.

Exactly my point. This is why I thought about a non-profit website that you have to prove that donated goods will be going to the right cause. I don't know... just thinking there should be a solution.