When running a business that serves food, it's inevitable that not every bite will be eaten.
However, some businesses prioritize efficiency and responsibility with food, while others are highly wasteful. An employee of Food Lion posted a picture on Reddit that showed their store appears to be one of the latter.
What's happening?
"Chips, anyone?" said the original poster on the r/FoodLion subreddit.
Their photo shows a full-sized garbage can filled to the brim with potato chips and cheese puffs. There is nothing visibly wrong with the food, except for the fact that it's in the garbage.
A comment clarifies the situation, although not the circumstances leading to it.
"Expired?" asked another user.
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"Honestly not sure," said the original poster. "Clocked in for my shift at 3 and saw it. Usually when we have expired stuff we just toss the whole thing. I don't know why they would open all the bags and dispose of them this way. Unless they were trying to deter dumpster divers. Sad regardless, especially because this is just the tip of the iceberg with food waste for grocery stores/restaurants."
Why is Food Lion's food waste important?
When supermarkets like Food Lion waste food, it drives up prices for the rest of their products, since they have to make up the difference for their lost stock.
At a time when prices are rising across the board, every penny counts for American shoppers, so these practices hurt.
At the same time, this is often edible food that goes to waste, which could have gone to those in need. Some commenters speculated about a possible product recall, but if the product was simply getting old or not selling well, it could still have been eaten and could have done a lot of good elsewhere.
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Set strict regulations 🚫 Waste like this puts strain on our food production system. The excessive use of energy, water, fuel for transportation, land for farming, and labor is detrimental to our economy and our planet.
Is Food Lion doing anything about this?
Food Lion has some initiatives to divert food waste to programs that are designed to recycle it into other products. In 2023, it reclaimed 19,000 tons of food to be turned into animal feed, compost, and alternative energy sources, according to a press release.
What can I do to reduce food waste?
To keep good food from going to the landfill, you can use apps like Too Good To Go, which offer discounts on food approaching its sell-by date.
Not only is this good for your wallet, it's good for the environment. You can also plan out your shopping trips so that you don't overspend at the grocery store or waste as much food at home.
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