A man shocked netizens in Singapore when he ate the leftovers of a stranger so the food does not go to waste.
Luo Yonghui is a self-proclaimed freegan, or someone who rejects consumerism and seeks to help the environment by reducing waste, especially by retrieving and using discarded food and other goods.
Freegans often consume all types of food, even looking through trash, as a means to alleviate waste and decrease their personal environmental impact and solar footprint.
Over the weekend (July 13), Luo wrote in the ‘SG Food Rescue’ Facebook page that he felt hungry “so decided to go to coffeeshop buy something”.
However, he added that there was “so much leftover”.
“I just take new utensils and finish those. End up not spending anything and satisfied”, he wrote.
Netizens who saw his post were quite disgusted and shocked at his actions, with many cautioning him of falling ill.
However, one netizen who was supportive of Luo’s freeganism wrote, “Please share this experience on Freegan in Singapore ! Good Start on the freegan food hunt, I am a little more atas and choosy about eating uneaten food such as a bowl of noodles, however, tons of people leave out good untouched food, my favorite places were fast food – KFC (lotsa untouched chicken!), hawker center like newton, amoy st, adam road, lau pa sat, maxwell mkt, dunern, east coast park, garden by the bay. La Pa Sat was really great coz communal dining causes people to order more food and a lot of plates of uneaten stuff left on the table like chilli crab, satay, etc. Communal diners are the best, so much food left over”.
On the ‘SG Food Rescue’ page there were others who were giving away food, and leaving these items at specific pickup locations.
One user, Christine Kee, had brownies, asparagus, roast beef, chicken with cream sauce and potatoes with roast beef to give away so as not to waste these food items.
SG Food Rescue supposedly meets every Thursday for what they call “Veggie Rescue Missions” at Pasir Panjang Wholesale Centre.
The movement, which started in January 2018, has other food rescue activities such as night-time vegetable rescues and re-stocking of community fridges in Yishun and Tampines.
There is also an app and a website called ‘OLIO’, which aims to connect neighbours with each other and volunteers with businesses so surplus food and other items can be shared, not thrown away.
On this platform, many also post excess foods that they have, for others to pick up and eat so that nothing goes to waste.
TISG has reached out to Luo for further comment.
So, think you’d be able to eat another’s leftovers to reduce wastage? /TISG