Norway’s new way to curb waste of old food
A drink (or two) could boost your brainpower
Asupermarket in Norway isn’t letting old food go to waste. At the Best Før grocery store in Oslo, items like taco shells that are three weeks past their prime, and coffee pods that expired back in April, line the shelves.
The shop in Norway’s capital city is an offshoot of the popular Lentusgruppen chain, created to peddle past-date foods after the government pleaded with citizens and those in the grocery industry to be more mindful of waste.
“Most supermarkets won’t buy products that are within 10 days or so of their expiry date (so) it often has to be
Twasted,” Best Før operations manager Naeeh Ahmed told The Guardian. “We thought, ‘Why don’t we make a place that has that kind of product that will be beneficial to every party: the consumer, the supplier, and us. A win-win for everybody.’”
Prices for these off-date items reflect their status. Those old tacos are half their usual price, and the pack of 32 Tassimo coffee pods that are currently priced at $27 on Amazon.com cost just 30 kroner, or $4.73.
Since 2010, Norway has become acutely aware of its CO2 emissions, and realized that food waste produced 978,000 tons of greenhouse gasses, about a quarter of what the country’s cars emit.
The country has urged its citizens and food industry experts to be innovative about wastefulness. “Some who believe in the cause are very positive, but any new concept takes a little time in the market,” Ahmed said. “It is going well, though ... every person in Norway knows these days that now is the time to do something, before it is too late.”