“I stand in a foodcourt, and I always see a tray full of food that is being picked up by someone to throw into the trash can. I also see people walking around with food in their hands, and then they will throw it without finishing it. It’s just careleness. In my opinion, the younger generation is making an effort to be more careful about food wastage. But, adults are not the same or have a similar attitude and there is a lack of care. At least the youth knows, but older people need to be made aware. This is what I believe. If you see young people in a restaurant, they usually take away the leftover food. At a personal level ...I make sure what I get is just enough.”
Rohit Sharma
Indian national based in Dubai
“Food wastage is a very serious issue. We see this happening quite often. In any public place, you see trays of food being wasted and being dumped in the trash bins. I was out for Eid with my family, and it was a disaster to see how people wasted food. It was a buffet and people were seen putting so much food on their plates and couldn’t finish it. The food was then being thrown in the trash in front of us. At a personal level, there are two things I do. One, if I am at a party, I would only put as much as I can finish. I would rather take two rounds and eat in moderation, than stuff my plate. Second, if I’m dining out with my family, if there is scope for take away I would do that.”
Fatima Suhail
Pakistani national based in Sharjah
“People are buying too much food and they can’t consume it. Most of the time, the leftovers get spoilt or thrown away. I think it would be better if we planned to buy food in advance, that way we will only get enough. If it’s the two of us, like my wife and I, we buy just enough. Sometimes we buy more than we can eat, and we have leftover, and it gets spoilt – it’s not a good feeling. But we try not to do this often. We’ve cut down on groceries, especially vegetables, which will rot if we leave them. People won’t make this change. In a food court for example, they will buy a big meal and they can’t finish it, and it’s then wasted. They should only purchase as much as they can consume. I’m diabetic and am now watching my intake, unlike before. I have become more careful and more aware.”
Darryl Espiritu
Filipino national based in Abu Dhabi
“It’s quite serious at some level. What I see around me is a lot of wastage. Restaurants see the highest wastage. I try not to waste any food by cooking moderately, just enough for us. If I go to a restaurant, I order something that I know I can finish. Wasting food is also equal to wasting my money. So keeping that in mind, I make sure I don’t waste.”
Ali Arjomandi
Iranian national based in Sharjah
