Bring back the bargain bins
Re: Dumpsters closed for business, Feb. 23 - 29
In the 1970s, when I was a university student, I bought large bags of dried organic beans and rice at a discount for buying in bulk. I was able to eat fresh fruit and veggies because the IGA marked down all the leftover produce on Saturday afternoon. I bought nearly out-of-date milk at a discount price to make yogurt. I wonder why Thrifty’s and other grocery stores can’t have a discount cart with marked down products that have bruises or are ripe? Superstores have those carts so it can’t be illegal. Sears had a ‘bargain basement’ where slightly damaged goods were offered at great discounts with no returns. My parents bought so much there I was told my baby brother came from the Bargain Basement and that’s why we couldn’t take him back.
When I got married in 1974, my husband, a builder, bought me a pair of steel shank and toed boots because we went into dumpsters gathering nails and other building supplies. We picked up pop bottles to help pay down the mortgage. We were middle-class people trying to make ends meet. I have my Food Safe training. I never got sick eating discounted items.
Common sense decision store policies about giving people a chance to acquire nearly expired products can happen without having to throw out the products or lock the dumpster. We are an affluent society that hasn’t known food shortage, but many of us have known and continue to know cash shortage.
Sharon L. Rempel,Victoria