Walmart employee defies 'wasteful' company policy, sparks debate: 'You definitely did the right thing'

When a Walmart worker noticed perfectly good ceramic vases heading for the trash, they took action.

They rescued the containers from disposal and shared them with co-workers in the break room, sparking an online discussion about retail waste reduction.

What happened?

"We had to throw out these orchids and [against] management's rules I took the vases and put them in the breakroom for coworkers to take. F*** this wasteful a** company," the employee posted on Reddit along with a photo showing orchids removed from small white ceramic vases stacked in what appears to be a break room.

Other Reddit users supported the decision, with one former garden center worker commenting: "You definitely did the right thing. I used to be garden center, one time I was told to get rid of like 50 plants, all with plastic around it and in plastic vases."

Why are discarded store items concerning?

Store waste adds unnecessary bulk to landfills and strains natural resources needed to produce replacement items.

When retailers throw away usable products such as vases and containers, they create a cycle of manufacturing more items to replace discarded ones. This process uses energy and raw materials that could be saved through reuse. The unnecessary production of new items increases manufacturing pollution and transportation needs, contributing to Earth's rising temperature.

Is Walmart doing anything about this?

Walmart aims to achieve zero waste in its U.S. and Canadian operations by 2025. The company also aims to reduce food and product waste through improved inventory management and donations to food banks and other organizations.

Individual store policies and practices don't always align with corporate sustainability targets, however. In this case, usable items were marked for disposal rather than donation or reuse.

What's being done about retail waste more broadly?

Many stores partner with food banks and charitable organizations to donate unsold items. Some retailers implement markdown strategies to sell items before they expire or become unsellable. Organizations such as Good360 help connect retailers with nonprofits that can use donated goods. 

What's your biggest motivation in trying to reduce your personal food waste? Saving money 💰 Helping the planet 🌎 Not being a wasteful person 😇 I don't think about reducing food waste 🤷 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

Shoppers can support stores with strong reuse and donation programs and talk to managers about implementing better waste reduction practices. Employees can suggest improvements to management, including setting up relationships with local charities and implementing clearance systems to reduce waste.

Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.