One dumpster diver's video is fueling outrage over a form of retail waste that affects both household budgets and animal welfare.
Here's what to know
After Dave Sheffield of Love in the Dumpster (@LoveInTheDumpster) filmed himself during a recent dive outside a pet store, he highlighted what he found, including several bags of pet food that still appeared to be usable.
Almost immediately, the comments section filled with people saying that the store should be sending the goods to animal shelters or people who need help feeding their pets.
Sheffield started his video by explaining, "So what I've been told by a bunch of commenters who actually work at these pet stores is they'll get fired if they don't cut the bags open. So, don't blame the employees for doing it, blame these corporations."
He said retailers "hide behind 'liability' concerns to justify tossing stuff like this" even though, in his view, a nonprofit could sign "a simple contract waiving liability. It's not that hard."
Sheffield also drew a distinction between food that could still be useful and food that should not be passed along. "If it's a recall or if it's spoiled, I completely understand," he said, adding, "If they could've given it to an animal shelter, it's just corporate greed and neglect."
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More background
Store procedures can turn a manageable inventory issue into a larger waste problem. Once bags are cut open and dumped, the food becomes much harder to safely pass along, while the packaging adds to the trash stream.
With pet food as a significant ongoing household expense, he argued those discarded bags could have helped someone nearby cover that cost instead of being thrown out.
Stores can (and should) set up formal donation partnerships with animal shelters and community organizations that help pet owners, while creating clear rules for what can be donated and what must be discarded for safety reasons.
Where can I learn more?
Thrown-out pet food fits into a pattern of retailers discarding products that still seem usable. The stories below look at how pet stores, grocery chains, and big-box retailers handle best-by dates and store policies and how those choices can create waste when goods could be redirected instead.
• Outside a pet store, a dumpster diver found complete bags of dog food tossed aside.
• At a grocery chain, divers reported barely anything expired among piles of discarded food.
• A Dollar General employee exposed a 'wasteful' store policy that kept usable groceries from people.
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