Power outages at retail stores push tons of good food into dumpsters, hitting both the environment and bottom line. A Reddit post exposed this problem at Walmart, showing how a single outage can lead to massive waste and financial loss.
What happened?
A Reddit user shared stark images showing food that was thrown away after a power outage at a Walmart store.
In the comments, another employee described an even bigger loss: "That's nothing. We lost power for 2 and a half days. I'm talkin pallets full of RPCs of literally everything they didnt pack up and get on a refrig truck fast enough. In total it was over 100k in claims."
Another employee called this situation "my worst Walmart nightmare."
Why is food waste concerning?
When food ends up in landfills, it breaks down and releases methane, which heats our planet.
Beyond the environmental toll, food waste has serious financial and social impacts. The United States wastes up to 40% of its food supply annually, and that's worth about $408 billion. Meanwhile, about 44 million Americans experience food insecurity. Large-scale waste incidents including power outages contribute to these statistics.
Is Walmart doing anything about this?
Walmart plans to achieve zero waste in its U.S. and Canadian operations by the end of the year. The company also works with food banks through its food donation program, pledging $10 million to support "organizations that provide access to food for the underserved."
However, power outages present unique challenges since food safety regulations often require disposing of temperature-sensitive items that might spoil, necessitating at the very least that each store would have its own emergency donation plans to activate and complete before freezer temperatures could reach problematic thresholds.
What's being done about food waste more broadly?
Many retail stores sell "ugly" produce at discounted prices through platforms such as Misfits Market instead of throwing it away. Others donate close-to-expiring food to hunger relief organizations.
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More tax incentives 🏦 Some state and local governments require large food retailers to donate surplus food when safe and possible. For instance, California passed a law in 2022 requiring grocery stores to donate edible food instead of throwing it away.
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Shoppers can help by planning meals, checking their inventory before shopping, properly storing food, and understanding date labels. Supporting stores with strong food waste prevention programs encourages wider adoption of these practices.
Technology offers promising solutions, too. For instance, advanced refrigeration monitoring systems can predict equipment failures before they cause large-scale waste.
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