A Reddit post showing shopping carts overflowing with wasted food at Walmart has triggered outrage online, bringing attention to the massive amounts of edible items being tossed while many Americans struggle with food costs.
What's happening?
A user in the r/walmart community shared a photo titled "The Amount [of] Food Wasted Boggles My Mind," showing several shopping carts filled with eggs, potatoes, fruits, and bread products headed for disposal.
The image quickly gained traction, with commenters expressing frustration about seeing so much food going to waste.
"It is horrible the food waste at this place. It disgusts me esp given how many people are struggling now," one commenter wrote.
When one commenter did mention donating, the original poster acknowledged it might not solely be up to the company: "I think whether you can depends on federal and state laws. There is a process for things to be sorted for donations but I don't know what that is."
Why is food waste at grocery stores concerning?
When grocery stores throw away food, they're not just throwing away potential meals. They're throwing away all the water, energy, and labor that went into growing and transporting that food.
Food rotting in landfills produces methane, a heat-trapping gas that makes our planet warmer faster than carbon dioxide. Food waste ranks as the third largest contributor to rising temperatures, behind only China and the United States compared to country-level pollution, according to PBS.
For consumers, this waste often translates to higher prices at checkout since stores build the cost of expected waste into their pricing models. Meanwhile, over 47 million Americans face food insecurity, according to Feeding America — many living within walking distance of stores discarding perfectly edible food.
Is Walmart doing anything about this?
Walmart has set goals to achieve zero waste in its operations across the United States and Canada. The company has implemented a food donation program that has provided over 2.5 billion pounds of food since 2015 through partnerships with food banks.
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Bought more than I could eat 🛒 However, critics point out that these programs don't address the root causes of retail food waste, such as overstocking, strict cosmetic standards for produce, and inventory management issues.
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Many stores cite liability concerns about donating certain foods, though the Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Act protects retailers who donate in good faith.
What's being done about food waste more broadly?
Some grocery chains have found creative solutions to reduce waste while building customer loyalty. Services such as Misfits Market have built business models around selling "ugly" produce at discount prices. Apps like Too Good To Go let you buy heavily discounted bags of food that would otherwise be thrown out from local restaurants and grocery stores.
Many cities now offer commercial composting services to businesses, turning food waste into soil rather than landfill material. France has gone further, making it illegal for supermarkets to throw away edible food — they must donate it instead.
You can help by shopping with a list to prevent overbuying, storing food properly to maximize shelf life, and using scraps creatively in soups and stocks. You might save hundreds on groceries yearly while keeping good food out of landfills.
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