I started working at a fast-food restaurant last summer because I really wanted a job and there weren’t many other options due to the pandemic. It was a good way for me to fill time and at first I enjoyed it. In November I tried to quit because there were many aspects of the job that I didn’t like anymore, but my bosses and I decided that I would instead take a leave of absence and come back later.
In January I made dietary changes like becoming mostly vegan and caring more about where my food came from. I also started making more environmentally focused lifestyle changes like buying a bamboo toothbrush and using only bar soap and shampoo. I still have lots more progress to make, but I’m more conscious now than I was before. I also got involved with the Sunrise Movement, which made me consider the environment way more than before.
In March my mental health was quickly deteriorating so I decided to go back to work as a way to get out of the house more. Ever since going back, I’ve had a hard time feeling good about my job. As a vegan it’s extremely difficult watching the consumption of so much unethically sourced meat and dairy. As someone who really does care about the environment, the amount of waste produced is deeply disturbing. Every time someone complains about their food we have to throw it away and make them a completely new order. We make a lot of custard twice by accident and nobody gets to eat it. The company doesn’t let employees eat what gets made incorrectly. We also end up throwing away the packaging that the incorrect orders go in.
It’s really upsetting when a customer complains that their burger came with mustard even though they said no mustard, and I’m just supposed to smile, apologize, and throw it away. I want to say, “wipe the mustard off yourself, because that cow took so many resources to grow and then died in vain if you don’t eat it”, but I can’t. The other day I was thinking about the carbon footprint calculator we looked at in class and how it didn’t account for the food we throw away. People don’t think about how the already high carbon footprint of their double-patty burger grows when they complain about the lettuce it wasn’t supposed to have.
Working at this job has created quite a dilemma for me because I’ve learned so much about the fast food industry, and on one hand I’m disgusted by the waste and the terrible meat consumption, and on the other hand I’ve gained mad respect for people who work at these restaurants. People work 10.5 hour shifts with only a 30 minute break and they’re on their feet for the rest of their shift. Customers are not very nice to the workers; it seems like a lot of people take their frustration out on us and think we’re stupid. It’s not an easy job, and these workers are under-appreciated.
I guess the point of this blogpost is mostly just to rant about something in my life related to the environment that has been bothering me lately, and hopefully some people will learn more about/ have insights on the complexity of the fast food industry.
This is a great post! I recently had a similar problem or argument with myself. I was searching for a job because I would like to get work experience, but the more places I looked at, the less appealing they became as a customer. This was especially true with places that produced food or even retail. This experience was so eye-opening, and after reading your post I now know I wasn't the only one. I am really glad that you brought this subject matter up because it can be very relatable and helpful for people who don't understand from a first person point of view!
ReplyDelete