An animal rescuer saved the day by preventing an extreme amount of pet food and cat litter from going to waste. Still, the whole situation unsettled Reddit users.
What's happening?
A Redditor who rescues dogs with special needs made the astonishing find. They shared their experience on r/DumpsterDiving, a community where members routinely post about valuable items found in trash.
While this dumpster had delivered for the original poster in the past — including a big K-cup haul — this find was something different altogether, as they showed in words and pictures.
"Peeked in and almost cried. 200+ pounds of dog food. Cat food for my son's rescue cat. Cat litter for my son's rescue cat," they revealed. "Some days I can see the little rays of sunshine."
The serendipitous find meant all of this pet food and other products didn't go to waste. They did note that there didn't seem to be any reason for it to be tossed.
"Not one was open or ripped or expired or recalled," they wrote in a comment. "There are so many local rescues that would love the donations."
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While happy for the OP, that sort of inexplicable waste angered other Redditors.
"Throwing out so much good food should be a criminal offense," one wrote.
Why is pet food and product waste concerning?
Our pets bring us joy and happiness, but they also require a hefty amount of resources to feed and care for them. When it comes to their food, meat-based products are popular and generate methane, a potent gas.
The type of dog food you use can have an even bigger impact on your contributions to pollution than your own food. Regardless of the type you choose, throwing out good pet food wastes resources. It could also result in the food heading to landfill, where it could generate more methane as it decomposes. This sort of waste is unfortunately prevalent with human food, too.
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$200 or more 💰 These products also often come in single-use plastics, as shown in the post. Even if disposed of properly, that plastic can still contribute to the plastic pollution crisis, all without serving its intended purpose for pets.
What's being done about pet food and product waste more broadly?
It was unclear who exactly was at fault for putting all of the apparently still-good pet food and products in the dumpster.
One user did suggest that not every company or proprietor operated this way. "I used to work for a Chewy warehouse and the amount of food bags that would get damaged everyday was astronomical," they wrote. "Thankfully, the company donates all damaged food to local shelters."
That experience drove home that pet food manufacturers and stores should reach out to foster and animal rescue organizations for donations.
While whoever the offender was here lucked out with a dog rescuer being "Johnny on the spot," there should be protocols in place to connect unwanted pet food and products with shelter and rescue organizations.
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