A Sacramento shopper's discovery of plants headed for disposal at Home Depot started a conversation about retail waste practices.
What happened?
A Redditor documented their frustrating experience at a Home Depot, where they spotted plants waiting for disposal.
"I saw a huge pile of plants (some dead, some dying, some perfectly fine) waiting to get thrown away in Home Depot. They won't give them away," the shopper shared in the r/Sacratomato community.
The original poster indicated that they asked staff if they could purchase the plants at a discount but was told "no." Their photos showed shopping carts filled with plants in different conditions.
One commenter shared their disappointment and personal response.
"All I'm learning is that I will no longer shop at Home Depot … this is just so wasteful," they wrote.
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This commenter mentioned other stores and companies that will sell items like this at a discount and wondered why the Home Depot store didn't.
"I just don't get it though, they could literally make more money by selling them cheaper," they added.
Other responses pointed out potential complexities linked to arrangements with plant vendors or perceptions that people might take advantage if plants were marked for giveaway or price cuts. Yet other comments echoed the OP's disappointment, regardless of any possible complications.
"Still, a terrible waste," one said.
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Just a flashlight 🔦 Why is plant waste concerning?
When retailers dispose of living plants and do not discount them, they support a system that is economically and environmentally wasteful.
Plants require water, fertilizer, land space, and energy to grow, and those resources go to waste when healthy specimens wind up trashed — along with associated costs that may factor into prices to consumers. If items are sent to landfill, organic matter (such as plants) decomposes there, which produces methane, a heat-trapping gas that contributes to our planet's overheating.
For budget-conscious consumers and environmental advocates alike, watching salvageable merchandise head to the trash feels especially wasteful when alternatives exist.
Is Home Depot doing anything about this?
Home Depot has launched several sustainability initiatives.
The company operates a plastic pot recycling program in collaboration with East Jordan Plastics, which recycles over 15 million pounds of used containers annually. The company has also committed to reducing 200 million pounds of virgin plastic by 2028.
These initiatives earned Home Depot the ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year for Sustained Excellence award from the EPA in 2024.
Although a companywide policy specific to organic plant waste is not obvious from online searches, Home Depot has reported on some stores working to compost organic items rather than throw them away. The Cool Down reached out to Home Depot for further clarity on its policies and had not heard back yet as of publish time but will update this article if any new information comes to light.
The company has also reported on its website that in fiscal year 2024, "approximately 4.9 million pounds of damaged product avoided landfills due to private-brand packaging projects aimed at creating packaging to better protect products."
What's being done about plant waste more broadly?
Other retailers demonstrate that alternatives exist. Some regularly mark down plants that need extra care, and shoppers often report discounts of around 50% on such clearance racks.
Local nurseries and smaller garden centers often discount older inventory instead of disposing of it. Some companies forge relationships with community gardens or nonprofits to donate plants they can't sell at full price.
Want to minimize plant waste? Visit retailers with clearance sections, ask about local nurseries' discount policies, or ask garden center staff about upcoming markdowns.
Supporting businesses that prioritize reducing waste over disposal communicates your values and helps both your budget and the environment.
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