Food waste is a problem at pretty much every major restaurant or grocery chain, as overordering to keep shelves stocked and serve large portions takes priority over preventing waste.
One shopper provided a perfect example of this with a visit to a Dollar General dumpster that was full of unopened snacks.
What happened?
In the r/DumpsterDiving community, the original poster shared a photo of the dumpster filled to the brim with various chips, crackers, sunflower seeds, energy drinks, and more.
"All the food they throw out!" the post was titled.
"Dollar general there throwing out stuff that doesn't sell; this is a daily occurrence," the original poster added in a comment.
"I would grab as much as you can!" one person commented.
"You could give him contact information for the local food banks," someone else suggested, seemingly referring to one of the workers.
Why is food waste concerning?
The United States throws away a shocking amount of food — around 120 billion pounds — each year, which is estimated to be roughly 40% of the entire food supply, according to Recycle Track Systems.
While most of this waste actually comes from consumers, grocers and food service companies account for about 40% of the issue. Food loss costs the American economy over $400 billion a year, contributes to landfill pollution, and wastes valuable resources, such as land and water.
Meanwhile, nearly 35 million people in the country face food insecurity, despite the massive overproduction and wastage of perfectly edible food (in most cases).
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$200 or more 💰 When so many companies worldwide throw away food, it creates unnecessary complexity in supply chains and drives up prices. Donating or discounting items when possible is a win-win for both businesses and consumers.
Is Dollar General doing anything about this?
Dollar General has implemented impressive waste-reduction programs in recent years, partnering with Feeding America to deliver excess inventory to food banks.
In 2022, the company donated over 12 million pounds of product to charities and diverted more than 17,000 tons of expired dairy waste from landfills. Most of this was sent to animal feed producers for use as additives.
At stores in Vermont, California, and Austin, Texas, Dollar General composts any food that cannot be donated or sold, keeping 430 tons of organic waste out of landfills.
But with so many shoppers, employees, and dumpster divers reporting food waste, the company could improve its policies to ensure more food goes to nonprofits or composting facilities.
What's being done about food waste more broadly?
Food waste is a tricky issue, since retailers must ensure items are still safe to consume before donating or marking them down. But if the food is still within a safe temperature, and store policies allow it, it can be done.
For example, when their refrigeration went out during a storm, Trader Joe's and Kroger gave away thousands of pounds of food, helping the planet and lucky customers.
Apps such as Too Good To Go and FlashFood can also save customers money on food. These companies partner with restaurants and grocery stores to sell food items nearing their best-by dates at major discounts — sometimes up to 50% off.
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