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Supermarket food, particularly close to or just after its sell-by date, changes fast from a transient commodity to rubbish, not because it is inedible, but because its economic worth is deemed to have expired. This classification of perfectly edible food as “waste” reveals a created value system that prioritises retail logistics and brand images above usefulness and ethical consumption. By recording this disposal process through covert observation, this research reveals the arbitrary criteria that define when food becomes garbage, as can be heard from the voiceover excerpt of the interview.


The Zero:Waste Card actively intervenes in this value system by giving a design-led solution that repositions wasted food into a new value category. It functions as a mediator that briefly suspends food in the transitional region between waste and usefulness, questioning the finality of its “rubbish” label. This reclassification corresponds with rubbish theory’s key idea: that the identification of an item as “rubbish” is not inevitable, but changeable, particularly via systemic and communicative intervention.

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23:00 - Zero:Waste

I researched food waste management at UK supermarkets as an undercover investigator. My study revealed that public perception and waste disposal procedures varied significantly. Despite claims of encouraging food redistribution through charity donation, stores continue to throw away massive volumes of edible food after closure, encouraging systemic inefficiencies that contradict sustainability goals.

 

My findings question the widely held belief that retailers do all possible to reduce waste. Instead, my findings suggest that logistical challenges and commercial reluctance prevent a more active approach to food redistribution. My research introduces the Zero:Waste Card as a practical solution that will bridge the gap between surplus food and persons in need, ensuring that food waste reduction meets real- world consumer accessibility and also revolutionising UK retailers' approach to addressing food surplus in an ethical and effective manner.

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