If you want to save a lot of money and help the planet, dumpster diving is one of the best ways to do it. It may seem like a strange hobby if you're not familiar, but many people have discovered hidden treasures — from home decor, electronics and rare collectibles to unwanted holiday items.
One Reddit user shared their recent HomeGoods haul in the r/DumpsterDiving subreddit, and while they may have scored big, commenters pointed out the store's wasteful practices.
What happened?
The homeowner revealed their finds, which included 11 small kitchen organizers and two larger ones, stating that they would be perfect for storing all their shelf-stable spices, condiments, and teas. The original poster considered these "luxury items," as they would have been quite expensive.
"This is about $100 worth of bins," they explained. "No cracks or breaks either. I carefully fished them out one by one. The compactor was being filled steadily."
The OP said the dumpster was also filled with "dozens of torn Halloween pillows," which they noted could have easily been marked down, not to mention mended and given away.
"The amount of waste disgusts me. I legit hate the economy. … It's unlivable and ppl just throw everything, especially food, out," one user commented.
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"How can businesses legit throw stuff like this out?!? This should be a crime," another said.
"I used to work for that company. Simply put, those should not have been thrown out unless there was a safety recall," a third shared.
Why is business waste concerning?
When businesses throw away perfectly good items, they have to offset the losses, which affects customers directly via pricing. It can also damage their reputations, as more people are choosing brands with strong environmental and ethical commitments.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, retail waste makes up a sizable portion of trash in landfills. In 2018, containers and packaging accounted for over 82 million tons of waste, and small products made up around 50 million tons of solid waste. Plastic containers are especially bad for the environment, as they leach harmful chemicals into soil and waterways as they break down in landfills. In addition, materials in landfills contribute to the release of planet-warming gases such as methane.
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Is HomeGoods doing anything about this?
According to the company's website, it is taking sustainability seriously, looking to divert 85% of its operational waste from landfills by 2027, switch to 100% renewable energy by 2030, and achieve net-zero heat-trapping gas pollution in its operations by 2040. It also has recovery and recycling centers to repurpose items such as plastics, cardboard, and hangers.
It's not clear why the store the OP went to threw away so many kitchen bins, but they were in great condition and likely could have been discounted or at least recycled, indicating the above practices are not implemented at every location.
What are other businesses doing to reduce waste?
Amazon is taking steps to divert waste from landfills, such as by using artificial intelligence to optimize operations, switching to paper packaging for some products, and donating food deemed safe for consumption. Marks & Spencer, a top British retail chain, is also cutting waste by selling more of its food products in recyclable packaging, which will eliminate over two million plastic containers.
As consumers, we can reduce plastic consumption by switching to reusable options for everyday products such as food containers and water bottles. Not only does this save money, but it also keeps plastic and other materials out of landfills.
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