A Redditor's local Walmart tossed what looked like perfectly good Christmas decorations into a dumpster along with their holiday spirit.
What's happening?
The Reddit user shared photos to r/Walmart of a giant dumpster overflowing with ornaments, fake greenery, lights, and other Christmas décor. Even more decorations sat on extra carts and shelves.
"Walmart near me throwing out thousands of pounds of perfectly good Christmas stuff. Reddit quickly lit up. I hate how wasteful this company is," said the original poster.
One commenter wrote, "This is why pollution problems will never be solved. A company is free to waste resources in the protection of profits."
Another added, "That's just how it is, when you don't want to get sued. It isn't just the company, it's [a] people problem too."
Why is Christmas waste important?
Seeing brand-new decor tossed out hits harder when you understand what that waste actually means.
All those holiday lights, plastic ornaments, and boxed decorations took energy, water, materials, and shipping fuel to make. When they're thrown away, every bit of that carbon pollution was basically for nothing.
Once these items reach a landfill, they don't magically disappear. Many break down slowly and release methane, a supercharged heat-trapping gas that makes our planet even hotter.
There's also the social side.
Schools, nonprofits, shelters, and community centers always need seasonal supplies. Seeing usable items go into the trash instead of into someone's hands feels like a missed opportunity, especially around the holidays. When stores continue trashing new products like this, their actions only encourage all involved to continue overproducing and wasting those products.
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Definitely 👍 Is Walmart doing anything about this?
Walmart has made big public promises around reducing waste.
According to Supply Chain Dive, the company said in 2018 that it aimed for "'zero waste' to landfills" by 2025. in major markets. It was also working on Project Gigaton, a massive effort to cut emissions across its supply chain.
So, why the dumpster full of Christmas cheer?
Seasonal merchandise is weirdly complicated. Vendors sometimes require unsold items to be destroyed, and some products can't be donated because of liability rules. Individual stores may handle leftovers differently.
But the photos are frustrating because they make sustainability promises like Walmart's feel far away.
What's being done about Christmas waste more broadly?
More cities and states are considering laws that stop retailers from destroying usable goods, taking cues from countries like France. Some companies are already shifting to "donate first" policies. They're teaming up with local charities and resale channels to make sure leftover inventory gets a second life.
Shoppers can make a difference too. Choosing reusable decorations, shopping secondhand, and donating gently used holiday pieces all help break the waste cycle. Even small swaps, like switching to LED holiday lights, save energy and lower pollution.
With enough pressure and smarter systems, scenes like the one in this Reddit post don't have to be the norm — and that's worth a joyous celebration.
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