Distressed employee calls out bizarre snack policy at major retail store: 'The greed is astronomical'

A Walmart employee was fuming after they shelled out cash for a bag of chips that did not meet expectations — and they didn't understand why they had to pay for it in the first place. 

What's happening?

The employee shared their tale in Reddit's r/walmart community. Annoyed by the fact that they had to trash multiple "big boxes stuffed with chips" near their expiration dates, the original poster said they decided to purchase a bag for themselves. 

"It's not like I buy chips even once a month. … Work drains me so much that driving 15-20 min out of my way to the half decent food store is exhausting," they said. 

Unfortunately, their snacking experience was deeply disappointing. 

"Still had all the air in the bag so it was completely sealed, still a whole month out, and I ate them… stale," they wrote. "Walmart can't even gimme stale chips for free. … The amount of waste is insane, the greed is astronomical."

"The amount of waste in the stores disgusts me too," another Redditor shared. "[We] have to throw out so many eggs per day. … If they gave it out, I'd never have to buy them."

Why is this important?

While food safety guidelines exist to protect public health, most items are safe to consume and donate after the "Best If Used By" date, as long as they've been kept at a safe temperature and don't show signs of spoilage, per the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service. 

Several grocery retailers have even given away food during power outages to prevent perfectly fine food products from ending up in landfills, where they'd produce methane — a heat-trapping gas at least 28 times more powerful at warming the Earth pound-for-pound than carbon dioxide. 

As for the chips, it is surprising they were destined for the rubbish bin as a non-perishable item, particularly before they had even expired. Beyond being a waste of food in a country in which 38% of food goes unsold or uneaten, per Feeding America, chip bags typically contain plastic, making the decision to discard the product environmentally harmful on multiple levels.

Is Walmart doing anything to reduce food waste?

On its website, Walmart says it aims to have zero operational waste, though it hasn't yet achieved that goal. Nonetheless, in 2023, the company's food donation program diverted 760 million pounds of food from landfills or incineration. 

Should grocery stores donate food that's past its sell-by date? Yes — as long as it's not bad 🤢 Yes — but only certain foods 🥫 Only if it doesn't cost the store 💸 No — it could lead to problems 👎 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

The retail giant has also teamed up with organic materials recycler Denali, whose "de-packaging" technology more cleanly separates food from its packaging, allowing the food waste to be turned into useful products like compost or animal feed.

Given these programs, it is unclear why the chips went straight to the dump. Customers might have complained about the freshness of the batch, leading Walmart to take action to preserve its reputation. Or perhaps the company's partners refused to accept them as a donation, as many food banks don't accept processed snacks with low nutritional value. 

What can I do about food waste more broadly?

Food prices have risen a whopping 31% over the past six years, according to Nerd Wallet, with severe weather events and diseases like bird flu among the factors impacting the profitability of food manufacturers, who then pass increased costs on to consumers. 

However, you can combat your rising grocery bills and food waste at the same time by taking advantage of apps like Flashfood, which partners with major retailers to connect shoppers with produce, meat, and other healthy foods nearing their best-by dates at heavily discounted rates. One user reported saving more than $1,300 on groceries over the course of a year. 

And if you stock up after finding a good deal from Flashfood or a similar service like Martie, remember that many items can be frozen to preserve their freshness for longer.

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