It is tough NOW. So how are we coping

ceridwen

moanymoany wrote: »

This is about 'dumpster diving'. http://www.mookychick.co.uk/lists/dumpster_diving.php

I help out in a charity shop and I am amazed by how much is chucked out - things I would happily take home and use. When the shops have closed it would be worth having a thumb through.

I would suggest going early as other undesirables go later on. Wear good gloves and be carefull as there will be broken glass and crockery. Otherwise good pickings.

If you feel a bit cheaty doing this you can always go in later and put a sum you think relevant in the box on the counter.

Moany

Am I being a terrible influence on you? After the "fun and games" we had when you went skipping for the materials to make a "home" for your chickens that time;)

...ceridwen beats a hasty retreat going "I must write 50 lines for leading people astray" (that Moany has obviously got the bit between her teeth now):D

:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

...and the irony of it is that I've not been able to persuade anyone else to come dumpster diving with me yet....I'm still trying to "sell" realworld friends on this as the latest interesting hobby and good environmental sense...:rolleyes: - so I've only got as far personally as picking up a few bits of food obviously dropped by those who are dumpster diving in my vicinity...reminds me..that there leek I picked up is destined for leek and potato soup....

Caterina

moanymoany wrote: »

This is about 'dumpster diving'. http://www.mookychick.co.uk/lists/dumpster_diving.php

I help out in a charity shop and I am amazed by how much is chucked out - things I would happily take home and use. When the shops have closed it would be worth having a thumb through.

I would suggest going early as other undesirables go later on. Wear good gloves and be carefull as there will be broken glass and crockery. Otherwise good pickings.

If you feel a bit cheaty doing this you can always go in later and put a sum you think relevant in the box on the counter.

Our local charity shop (cannot mention which one to preserve confidentiality) apparently breaks and damages all the stuff that they put in the rubbish bins at the back of the shop so that nobody goes to help themselves, someone working in there told me.

I think it is scandalous, but don't know how to tackle it as the person told me in confidence.

Caterina

ceridwen

Thats a bit daft isnt it Caterina? - ie for them to do that.....I suppose the logic behind it is "if they wont pay for it - they cant have it" - but I dont really think the giver will think of it that way. I often pass things on to charity shops - its partly so that the charity concerned can make a bit of money - but my main reason is that someone else can get the use of whatever-it-is.

mardatha

oh Caterina, thats HORRIBLE..
I am yelling at the tv here and the OH has given me a telling off It's a report on bbc Scotland about this big gas leak in Kelso, they think it will take 3 days to get it fixed. The reporter just went into a room with a family + giggling schoolkids and dramatically announced that "the whole family are huddled in the living room, round a single electric fire"... Well wooopy do !! What did we do when we were young ? Before everybody had central heating ? Did we die of overcrowding or hypothermia ? Noooooo ! Godsake !!!

caroline1973lefty

I also heard recently about certain leading supermarkets dumping loads of perfectly good clothes in their bins, I was told this by the husband of someone who works there. Another good argument for dumpster diving i reckon - it's not just food/persishables they're wasting in large quantities.

Perhaps people also ought to write to their local supermarkets and ask what happens to surplus goods - I know SOME shops give to charities but it seems to vary from area to area.

Caterina

ceridwen wrote: »

Thats a bit daft isnt it Caterina? - ie for them to do that.....I suppose the logic behind it is "if they wont pay for it - they cant have it" - but I dont really think the giver will think of it that way. I often pass things on to charity shops - its partly so that the charity concerned can make a bit of money - but my main reason is that someone else can get the use of whatever-it-is.

This is the reason why I freecycle antyhing I have as surplus as much as I can and if it does not go I give it to other charities, which I hope do not do the same thing - one in particular always has a "£1 sale" rack, so I imagine that they try their best to sell all the donations.

mardatha wrote: »

oh Caterina, thats HORRIBLE..

Yes it is and really unforgivable, they have lost my custom!

mardatha wrote: »

I am yelling at the tv here and the OH has given me a telling off It's a report on bbc Scotland about this big gas leak in Kelso, they think it will take 3 days to get it fixed. The reporter just went into a room with a family + giggling schoolkids and dramatically announced that "the whole family are huddled in the living room, round a single electric fire"... Well wooopy do !! What did we do when we were young ? Before everybody had central heating ? Did we die of overcrowding or hypothermia ? Noooooo ! Godsake !!!

:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: Mardatha I love the way you make me laugh the way you post some of the stuff! Thank you!

Caterina

ceridwen

Well Catarina -- I think Mardatha has adopted the role of MSE old-style "class clown";) :rotfl: - hmmmm...but I bet she'd be up for a bit of dumpster-diving with Moany Moany and me!;) Its okay Mardatha - we'd just get you to hold the torch and keep lookout for us......

It was the bit about she'd know she was in BIG TROUBLE if yelling for mum produced results that nearly had me spluttering my dinner all over my p.c.:D

oystercatcher

There's reports locally that charity shops have had increased amounts of total rubbish donated , Ever since they introduced the fortnightly bin collections !
Some of the shops are VERY fussy about what they will sell . I would have thought the 'rags' would go to be recycled but apparently it's not profitable so it all goes in the rubbish. At least that's what happened in the shop where my Mum used to help.
I'd love to go skip diving but all the shops round here seem to have their rubbish locked up and the skips outside houses seem to be full of lumps of concrete and plasterboard or revolting mattress
Maybe I need to go somewhere 'posh'.

Oystercatcher

happytails

Going off my dads version of a Scouse, we used no meat.

You need plenty of Potatoes, 2/3 onions, 6 big carrots, some peas, leeks, swede (whatever you fancy really) all chopped and put in a BIG pan - fill with water until veg is just covered and bring to the boil (if using peas put in 15mins before end). Add 2 stock cubes (we use OXO), salt and pepper if desired and once at the boil turn down to a meduim heat. This needs occasional stirring throughout 45mins - 1hr. 45mins after bringing to the boil, add gravy granules, flour etc whichever you prefer to thicken and the peas. Also secret ingredient (dad will kill me lol) is 2 tablespoons of Ketchup and 1 of brown sauce. Stir and leave for further 15mins until thick and sort of mushy.

Served up with bread ideally although very filling without. Great winter warmer and costs about £3 or less to make 6 hearty portions!

When i first made this for friends they looked a bit uneasy as it does look messy on a plate but they ate the lot and asked for the recipe :T

It would be uber cheap if you can get hold of whoopsied veg or (as i do) take the veg my mother would throw out even though its fine to eat

*********

Sarah

THIRZAH

I work in a charity shop and we now keep our bins behind locked gates.
People used to rummage through the bins and leave rubbish all over the yard.They would even carry bags from our bins into the yards of neighbouring shops , go through them and then leave anything they didn't want there which didn't go down well which the other shopkeepers.

We do recycle everything we can-all textiles and shoes are recycled .