One person didn't get the response they anticipated when they complained on Reddit about wasted produce in their house.
The r/mildlyinfuriating subreddit receives frequent posts about environmental topics like waste and littering. Usually, though, users are complaining about their neighbor, a business, an HOA, or their local government — not their own careless practices at home.
🗣️ What's the most common reason you end up throwing away food?
🔘 Bought more than I could eat 🛒
🔘 Went bad sooner than I expected 👎
🔘 Forgot it was in the fridge 😞
🔘 Didn't want leftovers 🥡
🗳️ Click your choice to see results and speak your mind
This Redditor, however, didn't seem to see the part they were playing in their own frustrating experience. "Every week my wife buys two bananas, and every week I throw them out," they complained.
They also attached a picture: two pairs of bananas lying on a kitchen countertop. One pair was overripe and heavily spotted, while the other pair was almost black.
At first glance, it might seem like they had a reasonable complaint. The original poster said they don't like bananas and mentioned in several comments that they asked their wife not to buy them. Even if they did like bananas, those looked too far gone to eat.
But commenters were quick to point out the many uses for overripe bananas — even ones that are almost black.
"Those are perfect as a whole food sweetener in oatmeal," said one user. "Throwing them out is a travesty."
"Make banana bread. Those are perfect," said another Redditor.
In case the original poster didn't want to use them immediately, a third commenter suggested to "Freeze them out of the peel and save for when you want to make banana bread."
"Or smoothies!" said a fourth user, while a fifth said, "Or pancakes."
There are an incredible number of ways to use bananas. In fact, there are so many that one Redditor said they used up an entire 30 pounds of bananas before they went bad. All it takes is a little creativity and a commitment not to waste resources.
Not only would that choice end an annoying cycle for the original poster, but it would also save them money. It would also be helpful for the environment since throwing out food means wasted resources from growing the produce and pollution from shipping it.
As one Redditor pointed out, almost anything would be better than just throwing the bananas away. "Peel and toss outside," they recommended. "The birds love them. … At least you get some value for your money feeding nature."
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