In many countries of the world, products that are about to expire are what many social projects revolve around. Poor people get food for free or almost for free, and retailers find a convenient way to implement liquids.
The name itself can, of course, scare away the Russian reader, but here it will be wrong, as it may not be familiar with the specifics of food retail in Europe.
In the European Union, throw away what we sell for money and without any discounts. Now it's better, even in Russia, but still, we are far from the European standard. Such scrupulousness is not only "good", but also "very bad" from some side. After all, products are thrown away, which are just blasphemy.
And besides, their recycling and disposal (which is generally strictly monitored) is a heavy financial burden on the shoulders of supermarkets and restaurants. Therefore, you should eat everything you have on your plate, because "we don't have pigs".
Supermarkets, where the price is decided by the buyer
An initiative called Sharehouse: Real Junk Food started in the UK. A supermarket was opened in the suburbs of Leeds, where every customer leaves money for the products they take on the principle of paying street musicians: "Give as much as you like.
The next supermarkets with the same scheme have already opened in York and Birmingham. And today, you can find one anywhere in the world by Sharehouse tag.
The fact is that at least in England (the birthplace of this initiative), expiring (not expired!) products are dumped in the landfill. And these are the 10 million tons that are thrown away each year. If a buyer doesn't have money to pay for food in such a shop, he is offered to work in the same shop - as they say, for food.
Free food in Helsinki
The capital of Finland, Helsinki, has a Mylypuro station (Müllerpuuro) near the city itself. A local Lutheran church distributes food packages to the population there, which are then taken to a Finnish shop (a simple hangar) when their goods are about to expire.
It reminds us of our Orthodox "memorial table", but the Lutherans don't ask anyone to remember.
The big inconvenience and trick of this initiative is that you can't choose the products you want - the "package" is formed by your employees, and there can be anything you want. Even the fact that you would never choose to eat yourself - because you don't eat it, you don't like it, you can't eat it. But they don't look a gift horse in the teeth...
The same initiative was taken up by a supermarket in the south of Finland, in a place called Võhti - K-Supermarket. No need to go to any hangar. You just come to your favorite supermarket and pick up free food with a price tag of 80.00.
It is strictly forbidden to sell goods that have already expired by law. Meanwhile, the disposal of expired goods is a problem and the consumption of the store itself, because the disposal of waste means environmental damage and greenhouse gases. And garbage removal from shops is expensive.
That is why (rather than for charitable reasons) stores are increasingly encouraging customers to save them from the cost of food disposal.
Free food for fathers with many children
An Italian supermarket called Emporio Portobello has emerged under a certain task and problem. Employees work there not for money, but foodstuffs from the same store.
In Italy (as it is known) there are more families with many children than anywhere else. Besides, there were kept patriarchal models in that plan that the father works, and the mother gives birth, spews curses on ahead of the loser-husband and sits at home. Therefore, if a single breadwinner of a large family has been cut and fired, the family is on the verge of poverty. Of course, an unemployed person is immediately registered with all sorts of social bodies, but you have to eat every day...
Having collected information, now he lost his job, he can go to the supermarket Portobello and start working there. Based on the results of the work, the employee is given only foodstuffs. As soon as the economic situation of the family changes (if someone in the family - the older children, the wife - finds a job and the total income increases), you are obliged to release the job and give it to another person in need.
Thank you, goodbye.