Imagine you’re at the supermarket checkout. You pay the cashier, load your food into the cart, then take one third of your newly purchased items outside and throw them into the trash. This may sound unbelievable, but millions of us worldwide do this regularly, although in a more non-direct way.
In the West, most of this food is thrown away by businesses that are unable to sell it, or by consumers who buy too much. And the majority of this food, despite
being past its shelf life, is still perfectly fit for human consumption. So where do these excess products end up?
“We receive food from various sources, including food banks, restaurants, cafes, food photographers, and events” says Adam Smith, founder of The Real Junk Food Project. The British company recently made headlines in the UK after it became the country’s first “food waste supermarket”, offering products that would otherwise have ended up in waste. Most of its customers are low-income families, or even college students who find it difficult to afford food.“We ask our customers to pay what they feel in time, money or skills. We do have people coming with the intention of paying and if it carries on like it does, it will pay for the cost of the warehouse,” Smith explains.
Some shops across Europe are also taking action. France recently passed a law that says all supermarkets must now donate all of their unsold produce to charities, while the Italian government has also put similar measures in place. Hundreds of cafes that serve meals made from surplus food have been set up across the continent too, selling dishes at bottom prices or even giving them away for free.
So what can we do to prevent our dinner ending up in the bin? “Buy less. Or at least shop smarter,” said Smith. After all, the best place for food is in our stomachs, not the trash.
8. What’s the meaning of the underlined “being past its shelf life” in Paragraph 2?
A.Being past its “sell-by” date. | B.Being far from enough. |
C.Being past the length of being eatable. | D.Being out of date. |
9. What do we know about The Real Junk Food Project?
A.It gets food from the waste. | B.It wants to make a fat profit. |
C.It drew massive attention lately. | D.Its main aim is to do charities. |
10. What can we learn from Paragraph 4?
A.Some countries in Europe are actively helping poor people. |
B.Some countries in Europe are trying to address food waste. |
C.Related shops in Europe are willing to give away their food. |
D.All the countries in Europe have made laws to handle food waste. |
11. What is the best title of the passage?
A.Turning Trash into Treats | B.Buying Less and Smarter |
C.Food Trash Industry | D.Warn against Food Waste |