A friend I went on a short walk with back at Easter had an old Evian (or Vittel or similar) bottle which she'd been using since the mid-90s. Wow! That's just an ordinary bottle, made to be disposable, and while her case is exceptional I'm sure the tougher bottles and bags for life (or are they bag-for-lifes?!) can easily be made to last a similar time. If only people don't through them away when they get a bit dirty, which of course is what normally happens.They get lost before they break. I don’t think I’ve ever broken one. They get a bit manky looking, and I briefly had concerns over the bottle leeching into the water, but the reading I did seemed to dispel that fear.
It’s not an ideal solution, because it relies on a wasteful system - but it is pragmatic.
Like the bags for life, I imagine the heavier duty plastic (or metal) bottles need a huge amount of use before they offset the energy taken the produce them. Of course, if having a nicer (or more functional) bottle means you use it for years then that’s good too. Ideally all of these things (water vessels and beyond) would be designed to last as long as possible. Obviously various industries have a vested interest in disposable / short life cycles (see cell phones).
From what I've heard (from people with knowledge of retail) there are a couple of reasons for the bleaching of bins. One is that this is a common theft mechanism. Employee throws out of date stuff in bins, puts other stuff in there too, gets mates to "collect" it.I once knew a bakery that after finding out that their bins were done every night started throwing bleach over their produce in the bin, supermarkets who started only leaving their bins out at the time the collection was, or leaving them locked outside, this was all done with fear of loosing profit, no thought that people couldn't afford it just thought that they might be loosing custom.
What we have is a by-product of the system we live in, but that brings it round to a political question. Not an easy question, with no easy answers.
When I was working my first supermarket job, coworkers were fired for eating a few of the chocolate bars that were being thrown for being out of date (no punishment for the manager who hadn't ensured proper stock rotation or put them on clearance).From what I've heard (from people with knowledge of retail) there are a couple of reasons for the bleaching of bins. One is that this is a common theft mechanism. Employee throws out of date stuff in bins, puts other stuff in there too, gets mates to "collect" it.
Arguably if your employees are stealing from you, that's a sign of worse things wrong, but it isn't necessarily done just to stop the homeless/freegans/etc eating unsellables.
I've worked in food retail shops, food retail on markets i've even walked away from a job when they wanted me to bury oranges cause there was too many that year. There can be many reasons given the most common is a health & safety. But as someone who's been on both sides I personal don't believe the excuses used, as regards the bakery mentioned, if they are doing it because they say their employees are stealing bread & cakes or because of health reasons. A bit of personal thinking usually prevails in a common truth imo.From what I've heard (from people with knowledge of retail) there are a couple of reasons for the bleaching of bins. One is that this is a common theft mechanism. Employee throws out of date stuff in bins, puts other stuff in there too, gets mates to "collect" it.
Arguably if your employees are stealing from you, that's a sign of worse things wrong, but it isn't necessarily done just to stop the homeless/freegans/etc eating unsellables.
It's a cynicism and individualism taken to absurdity.I've worked in food retail shops, food retail on markets i've even walked away from a job when they wanted me to bury oranges cause there was too many that year. There can be many reasons given the most common is a health & safety. But as someone who's been on both sides I personal don't believe the excuses used, as regards the bakery mentioned, if they are doing it because they say their employees are stealing bread & cakes or because of health reasons. A bit of personal thinking usually prevails in a common truth imo.
How so? Do you have personal knowledge of the subject of being on the needing end, cause if not your post works for you imo.It's a cynicism and individualism taken to absurdity.
I've dumpster dived to afford the luxury of travelling, and we used to dumpster dive as students (though it was at a time where more and more places started padlocking their bins). I don't think the former genuinely counts as a need - afterall I had the luxury of knowing if I made my way back to family or friends I wouldn't be completely out of luck (and if something had happened I had the safety net of knowing I could be bailed out).How so? Do you have personal knowledge of the subject of being on the needing end, cause if not your post works for you imo.
Sorry I may have misunderstoodI've dumpster dived to afford the luxury of travelling, and we used to dumpster dive as students (though it was at a time where more and more places started padlocking their bins). I don't think the former genuinely counts as a need - afterall I had the luxury of knowing if I made my way back to family or friends I wouldn't be completely out of luck (and if something had happened I had the safety net of knowing I could be bailed out).
I mean the policy of bleaching bins and the like is very cynical.