Why does good food go to landfill?

The reason I ask this question is because I am one of many people on this island who would happily take any nearly out-of-date (or just out-of-date) bread from them in order to both feed it to my chickens and share it with my family for their garden birds. Equally, I know many people on the island who would be delighted to use this bread for their horses, pigs, wild birds etc. (in addition to the ideal feeds of course). It seems over the years the supermarkets have become extremely greedy, and on certain matters such as this one the very concept of recycling has passed them by. Both the Co-op and Checkers now have a policy that means they will reduce the loaves of bread to a point (usually between 20p and 70p) towards the end of the final day of shelf life, but won't consider giving it away at closing time (even though technically it is still in date). In fact they won't even let their staff take it home (I have asked in both supermarket chains previously). Instead they prefer to pile sacks of it into their bins (no doubt destined to add to the landfill problem even though this could be easily avoided).

When I was growing up, Warry's bakery would willingly give us sacks of cakes and bread at the end of each day in order for us to feed it to our chickens (the ultimate in recycling if you ask me, bread converted into eggs). For the life of me I cannot understand why the supermarkets here are so unwilling to do the same, instead discarding a product that could be utilised, therefore adding to the landfill problem (plus wasting a perfectly useful and in-demand product).

I should add that I am pretty certain they are doing exactly the same with many other products that could similarly be utilised e.g. fresh vegetables and fruits that are just at the end of their shelf life.

CINDY LAWSON,

Ash Cottage,

Rue de la Girouette,

St Saviour's,

GY7 9NN2