A Walmart employee shared a frustrating experience on Reddit that highlights a serious problem with food waste in major retail operations. The post detailed how the employee had to dispose of 1,500 pounds of bananas that arrived from a distribution center already spoiled.
What happened?
The employee, a 32-year-old woman, explained in the r/walmart subreddit that a pallet of bananas delivered from their distribution center (DC) had to be "claimed out" (marked as waste) because the fruit was "complete mush and covered in sugar spots" by the morning they were meant to be stocked.
In her own words, "I (32/F) had to drag a 1500lb pallet out the front entrance, on a Sunday on a first of the month weekend, and around the entire building to the back in nearly 100 degree weather, filled the tiny compost bin, then had to drag what was left back around the building and back into to receiving to throw the rest in the compactor."
The employee noted this wasn't an isolated incident, saying, "The DC has consistently sent us complete garbage and we've been making claims almost daily against them."
Why is food waste at Walmart concerning?
When food decomposes in landfills, it releases methane, a gas that contributes to rising temperatures. Large-scale waste like this also represents squandered resources — the water, energy, and labor that went into growing, harvesting, and transporting those bananas.
The incident points to potential supply chain issues that may be happening across numerous stores. Suppose one location routinely receives spoiled produce. In that case, it suggests a broader systemic problem that could be multiplied across Walmart's 4,600-plus U.S. locations.
Financially, this waste hurts consumers, too. The cost of these losses gets passed along as higher prices for shoppers.
Is Walmart doing anything about this?
Walmart has publicly committed to achieving zero waste in key markets by 2025, including the U.S. The company has also joined the "10x20x30" initiative, where major food retailers work with suppliers to halve food loss and waste by 2030.
The existence of compost bins at the store mentioned in the Reddit post suggests some waste reduction systems are in place. However, the employee's account indicates these systems may be inadequate in capacity and accessibility.
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Not enough time ⏳ However, it's difficult to assess how effectively Walmart is managing food waste across its operations without knowing if this is a widespread issue or a problem with one particular distribution center.
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What can be done about retail food waste more broadly?
Better supply chain management and quality control systems could prevent spoiled produce from being shipped to stores in the first place. More stores could partner with food rescue organizations to donate still-edible but not sellable food to those in need, making sure the donated food is deemed safe for consumption before being given to people.
Shoppers can help by choosing "ugly" produce that might otherwise go to waste. Supporting stores with strong food waste prevention programs conveys that customers care about this issue.And for those bananas that do reach the end of their shelf life? Home composting turns food scraps into valuable garden fertilizer, keeping waste out of landfills while saving money on garden supplies.
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