How many times have you carefully wrapped up leftovers when eating out, taken them home, and discovered them weeks later breeding new life forms in the back of the fridge? The folks at Replate are encouraging people to rethink their leftovers and do some good at the same time.
There’s a new trend in some West Coast towns where folks leave their leftovers on top of or beside trash bins, so that folks in need can have access to the free food without dumpster diving. This might seem like a small act, but for someone who’s hungry it can have a huge impact.
Spread the Word
Replate is hoping to spread the word – literally. They coined the term because giving a name to a behavior makes it much easier to encourage! According to their site, replate means:
v. (re-plate): To place unwanted leftovers, typically in a doggie bag, on top of the nearest trash can so they don’t go to waste.
Seems simple enough, right? Why let that leftover food languish in the back of your refrigerator when it could help feed a hungry person?
To help spread the word, just start using it! Replate your leftovers, and explain what you’re doing when your friends ask you why. You can also snag all sorts of free downloads from the Replate site to help educate folks about this act of kindness.
Got questions? Their FAQ answered a lot of mine. I especially like that they addressed the “evil people” question. Here’s what Replate has to say about the idea that folks could put out tainted food:
There’s a strange paranoia in the conversation about evil people poisoning the food. Sure, it could happen. But you could also get pushed in front of the subway train. Or someone could put razor blades in your Halloween candy. People could betray your trust in any number of ways, but if you ride the subway, or eat Halloween candy, you know that the fear far outweighs the actual risk.
What do you guys think about replating? Are you going to give it a shot next time you’re eating out?
Great call on Replate’s part coining a term around this idea. I know I’ve given leftovers to a homeless person many times, and I have a cousin in DC (shoutout Chet!) that does this almost every time she goes out.
It’d be cool if they sold (or gave away) Replate stickers that would allow you to attach a little message to the meal: “I didn’t need these leftovers, so I’m leaving them here for someone who does. Hope you enjoy them! – REPLATED”
Stickers are such a cute idea! They have graphics on the site you can snag, so you might be able to print your own. Maybe drop one of their graphics into a label template? If the font didn’t get unreadably small, it would definitely be doable.
I am so intrigued by this idea! I love it, and will do it. I have left food carefully wrapped on park benches before. And I think the idea of affixing a “replate” sticker to the packaging is genius!