Using up non-vegan foods

[vesper818]

How about making them into hot dishes or sandwiches and handing out to local homeless?

 

[Jamie in Chile]

If it is things like pasta and biscuits I think I would eat them.

If it is meat or factory farmed eggs give it away to someone as this may stop them buying more of the same for a few days. Some people just get through x eggs a week.

 

[Lou]

Maybe just think of the "remains" of animals who gave their lives, and bury them .

And how is that going to help anyone,

 

[Graeme M]

This was an interesting question. I might get into hot water here, but I don't think that "going vegan" actually makes any difference to anything while there are very few real vegans in the world. The real outcome is that you live consistently with your own ethical perspective. That is, what veganism really means for us at the present time is that we be happy within ourselves that we are making choices that reflect our moral beliefs.

So, if you are transitioning, eat whatever vegan unfriendly foods you still have if you are comfortable doing so as that is a less wasteful thing to do. Also, don't throw out any vegan unfriendly clothing because the actual economic signal has already been sent to the animal-using industries. In fact, it would even make sense (I think) to buy second-hand woolen or leather clothing for the same reason - the economic signal has already been sent and it is less wasteful to buy second hand goods (ie you are not stimulating demand for new products to be made). And so on.

Edit: Regarding buying clothing, a good reason one might buy new vegan-friendly items would be to stimulate production, so I guess what's best is open to debate. I guess all I mean here is that buying second-hand woolen or leather clothing doesn't seem to violate vegan principles and is less taxing on the environment overall.

 

[g0rph]

This was an interesting question. I might get into hot water here, but I don't think that "going vegan" actually makes any difference to anything while there are very few real vegans in the world. The real outcome is that you live consistently with your own ethical perspective. That is, what veganism really means for us at the present time is that we be happy within ourselves that we are making choices that reflect our moral beliefs.

So, if you are transitioning, eat whatever vegan unfriendly foods you still have if you are comfortable doing so as that is a less wasteful thing to do. Also, don't throw out any vegan unfriendly clothing because the actual economic signal has already been sent to the animal-using industries. In fact, it would even make sense (I think) to buy second-hand woolen or leather clothing for the same reason - the economic signal has already been sent and it is less wasteful to buy second hand goods (ie you are not stimulating demand for new products to be made). And so on.

Edit: Regarding buying clothing, a good reason one might buy new vegan-friendly items would be to stimulate production, so I guess what's best is open to debate. I guess all I mean here is that buying second-hand woolen or leather clothing doesn't seem to violate vegan principles and is less taxing on the environment overall.

Buying second-hand non-vegan clothes could also mean that someone who was looking for just that eg. leather jacket, or whatever, doesn't find it and buys new instead.
I would avoid if possible.

It does remind me of how irritating jeans are...so many leather patches! - And never in the list of materials when shopping online.

 

[Tom L.]

This was an interesting question. I might get into hot water here, but I don't think that "going vegan" actually makes any difference to anything while there are very few real vegans in the world. The real outcome is that you live consistently with your own ethical perspective. That is, what veganism really means for us at the present time is that we be happy within ourselves that we are making choices that reflect our moral beliefs.

So, if you are transitioning, eat whatever vegan unfriendly foods you still have if you are comfortable doing so as that is a less wasteful thing to do. Also, don't throw out any vegan unfriendly clothing because the actual economic signal has already been sent to the animal-using industries. In fact, it would even make sense (I think) to buy second-hand woolen or leather clothing for the same reason - the economic signal has already been sent and it is less wasteful to buy second hand goods (ie you are not stimulating demand for new products to be made). And so on.

Edit: Regarding buying clothing, a good reason one might buy new vegan-friendly items would be to stimulate production, so I guess what's best is open to debate. I guess all I mean here is that buying second-hand woolen or leather clothing doesn't seem to violate vegan principles and is less taxing on the environment overall.

Of course it makes a difference (as far as purchasing new non-vegan items goes)- although I'll admit it may be almost impossible to measure the impact. I do agree that buying used or second-hand nonvegan items will have less of an impact.

 

[Graeme M]

Of course it makes a difference (as far as purchasing new non-vegan items goes)- although I'll admit it may be almost impossible to measure the impact.

Can we distinguish between "no difference" and a difference "impossible to measure"?

 

[Tom L.]

Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence.

 

[Tom L.]

To clarify: I think we can agree that the industries which produce non-vegan foods and other items are stimulated by the purchase of those items.

 

[Graeme M]

To clarify: I think we can agree that the industries which produce non-vegan foods and other items are stimulated by the purchase of those items.

Yes they are, but the scale of non-purchase is so far very small, at least as a result of vegans making buying choices. Some vegan-friendly items are potentially affecting production, such as plant-based milks, but how would typical whole food vegan items bought by vegans have an affect? Plant-based milks are not bought mainly by vegans but by many everyday consumers. Farmers tend to produce what they can depending on prevailing conditions so production figures vary over time. I think it would be very, very hard to find a signal in there that matches to your personal choices. At least, while actual vegan choices amount to next to nothing at scale. If I look at production figures for the past two years in Australia, I see some dips and rises, but overall much remains the same. Trends for all species are upwards.

 

[BillyBatts]

I am still in this particular cunundrum at present, as I have frozen meat left in my freezer. But it is not just using up frozen meat in the freezer that is the issue. It is the way I now feel after eating meat, when I have purged that kind of food product out of my body, and more specifically, my arteries and heart. I'm not only referring to how I feel mentally, but also how I feel physically after ingesting meat at this point in my Vegan lifestyle. I truly can feel a difference in my body after ingesting any kind of animal food product, even in small amounts.

I am an endurance athlete, and I can say without a doubt that being Vegan has given me more strength and endurance. Hands down. And no, it is not my imagination. Having some spaghetti once every few weeks with a bit of beef or pork in the sauce for the sake of "using up frozen meat" truly does effect my health. And thus, it effects my performance as an athlete. As someone said previously in the thread, the violence is already done, so you might consider eating the meat since it is already processed. Certainly, that would be preferable than simply tossing the meat in the trash. But for me, it's not just that. The decline that I feel in health, endurance and strength is noticable, even after a small ingestion of meat, now that I'm truly living a Vegan lifestyle. I have become very passionate about the way eating Vegan makes me feel physically.

I have read that some food banks do accept frozen foods, including frozen meat. I am going to see if I can donate the rest of my frozen meat to them. For me, that would be much better than trying to ingest it myself, setting my training and health back a few weeks every time I do.