What is the most ethical way for a vegan to get rid of in-date tinned meat?
I am a vegan but still have some tins of tuna and corned beef which I bought before I went vegan which are still in date as they last for so long. I am wondering what I should do with them as it feels wrong having them in the house, obviously I'm not going to eat them and it feels terrible to put them in the bin when more animals are being killed every day to produce more of these products. I wonder if it would be best to take them to a food bank? As a big ethical vegan, I feel as though it may be morally wrong for me to give them to a food bank as it might lead to some people eating more meat/fish and less vegan food. Having said that, is it possible that it could lead to someone eating the food I donated instead of buying meat/fish, in which case it would reduce the amount of them that is purchased?
Another idea would be to do the opposite of shoplifting and go and put them on the shelves in the supermarket. Is there any law against doing this? This way, it could have the opposite impact of buying meat and effectively reduced demand by the amount that I add to the shelves, although in practice they wouldn't be added to the stock on the shop's system.
Whatever I do with them, I really don't like handling the tins and to be honest don't feel comfortable taking them into a public place (which I would have to do to take them to a food bank or supermarket) as it feels hypocritical for me to handle meat in public as a vegan and it would make it look as though I'm a meat eater.
Has anyone else ever had this problem?
Another idea would be to do the opposite of shoplifting and go and put them on the shelves in the supermarket. Is there any law against doing this? This way, it could have the opposite impact of buying meat and effectively reduced demand by the amount that I add to the shelves, although in practice they wouldn't be added to the stock on the shop's system.
Whatever I do with them, I really don't like handling the tins and to be honest don't feel comfortable taking them into a public place (which I would have to do to take them to a food bank or supermarket) as it feels hypocritical for me to handle meat in public as a vegan and it would make it look as though I'm a meat eater.
Has anyone else ever had this problem?
(edited 3 years ago)
Scroll to see replies
Original post by Cdhelp
Give it to a food bank
But what if it gives someone a taste for something and then they buy more of it as a result when their financial situation is more favourable?
You seem to be massively over-thinking this. Give it to a food bank and let someone in need make use of it. Whether or not they want to buy more when they can afford to is none of your business. You go ahead and be vegan, they can be whatever they want to be. And mostly, if they need a food bank they will be very grateful to all the people who have donated, so you will have done a good thing.
Original post by FV75
You seem to be massively over-thinking this. Give it to a food bank and let someone in need make use of it. Whether or not they want to buy more when they can afford to is none of your business. You go ahead and be vegan, they can be whatever they want to be. And mostly, if they need a food bank they will be very grateful to all the people who have donated, so you will have done a good thing.
True but if I'm going to donate food to someone, I would want to give them vegan food.
Original post by maths42
But what if it gives someone a taste for something and then they buy more of it as a result when their financial situation is more favourable?
Did you know it was possible to be a vegan without judging everyone else for what they eat?
How about you either
A) donate the food and mind your own business
And/Or
B) stop making threads designed to try and get a rise out of people.
Give them to a next door neighbour?
Olio
It's an app to reduce wastage by sharing things with people who live nearby.
It's an app to reduce wastage by sharing things with people who live nearby.
Original post by GabiAbi84
Did you know it was possible to be a vegan without judging everyone else for what they eat?
How about you either
A) donate the food and mind your own business
And/Or
B) stop making threads designed to try and get a rise out of people.
How about you either
A) donate the food and mind your own business
And/Or
B) stop making threads designed to try and get a rise out of people.
Original post by laurawatt
Give them to a next door neighbour?
The thing is, I feel that by giving away meat I send out a message that I support people eating it.
Original post by maths42
The thing is, I feel that by giving away meat I send out a message that I support people eating it.
You've put yourself in some sort of paradox then.
You can't give it away as it'll send the wrong message, but you can't keep it as it doesn't support your values...
Original post by maths42
The thing is, I feel that by giving away meat I send out a message that I support people eating it.
No, you’d be generously giving away food that you don’t eat anymore and have no intention of eating.
Original post by maths42
The thing is, I feel that by giving away meat I send out a message that I support people eating it.
So instead you’re sending out a message that you’d rather people starve than eat how you want them to eat.
Original post by MatthewAteYou
You've put yourself in some sort of paradox then.
You can't give it away as it'll send the wrong message, but you can't keep it as it doesn't support your values...
You can't give it away as it'll send the wrong message, but you can't keep it as it doesn't support your values...
Yeah, it was wrong of me to buy the meat in the first place and it's terrible that extra animals might have been abused as a result.
Original post by GabiAbi84
So instead you’re sending out a message that you’d rather people starve than eat how you want them to eat.
No but I want them to eat vegan food unless there really isn't any other option.
Original post by maths42
True but if I'm going to donate food to someone, I would want to give them vegan food.
Vegans are a huge minority so if you donate vegan food to a food bank, it might go to waste. So why not just donate the food that you have, but don't want? Or just bin it if it's really too much to take it to your local supermarket or other food bank donation point.
You seem to care a lot about other people's opinion of you, but you are not creating a great impression of yourself here!
(edited 3 years ago)
Original post by laurawatt
No, you’d be generously giving away food that you don’t eat anymore and have no intention of eating.
Original post by FV75
Vegans are a huge minority so if you donate vegan food to a food bank, it might go to waste. So why not just donate the food that you have, but don't want? Or just bin it if it's really too much to take it to your local supermarket or other food bank donation point.
You seem to care a lot about other people's opinion of you, but you are not creating a great impression of yourself here!
You seem to care a lot about other people's opinion of you, but you are not creating a great impression of yourself here!
There's no reason why a meat eater can't eat vegan food so it would be absurd for it to go to waste.
Original post by maths42
There's no reason why a meat eater can't eat vegan food so it would be absurd for it to go to waste.
So buy something vegan to donate as well, and drop off the spare tins you have while you are there. You are making a massive deal out of something really simple.
Original post by maths42
Yeah, it was wrong of me to buy the meat in the first place and it's terrible that extra animals might have been abused as a result.
Sure. That's your view.
The question now is what we can we do (very much as you ask).
You seem to want to be a vegan because you want to reduce suffering? Right? Giving the food to someone in need is reducing suffering. As you mention, you don't want your act to be expressive of condoning eating meat. But that's not what you're doing. You're giving to someone in need, reducing someone's suffering.
The truly pragmatist answer is, well, regardless they're going to be eating meat anyway as that's what's donated etc. etc. but you should know that what you are doing is not promoting meat.
Personally? I think you're overthinking it.
Original post by maths42
There's no reason why a meat eater can't eat vegan food so it would be absurd for it to go to waste.
It’s someone’s individual choice about what they eat - if they choose to eat meat then so be it, but you paid money for the tuna and beef so there’s no point throwing it in the bin when it could feed people in need.
Quick Reply
Related discussions
- if i will only date a vegetarian/vegan will i be unlikely to find a gf
- Is it okay for a vegan to work for a supermarket?
- University - recipe suggestions for students
- going vegan ?
- Who else is vegan on here?
- Do you think universities should ban meat from their menus?
- any other vegans here?
- TSR Goes Green: How important will the environment be in this year's election?
- Group 1 Carcinogens
- UK professor suffered discrimination due to anti-Zionist beliefs, tribunal rules
- What does it mean that the PM is hindu?
- Vegan in halls
- Human foods for dogs
- Would you rather...
- going insane
- vegetarian at st hilda’s
- Major brands, including Heinz, reject 'shrinkflation'
- Quick and Easy Student Friendly Meals
- Do You Drink The Juice From Tinned Fruits?
- In your opinion, is it cruel to vacuum a spider & why?
