No matter which strategies retailers use to keep more food on shelves and less in landfills, they must follow food safety laws to ensure no one gets sick from expired items. Sadly, as one truck driver found out during a delivery to Walmart, that may mean thousands of pounds of food headed for the dumpster.  

What happened?

In r/LateStageCapitalism, the trucker shared a photo of a shocking amount of pork that was still safe for consumption but would likely be thrown out after Walmart refused the delivery. 

They explained the situation in the caption: "Over 2,000 pounds of fresh pork being rejected by the Walmart distribution center because the sell-by dates occur when their stores are closed for Thanksgiving. This product will still be safe to eat for the next 15 days but they won't even attempt to sell. This will end up in a dumpster today."

In a follow-up comment, the original poster said it seemed like Walmart and the meat producer had misunderstood each other. The retailer had previously told them not to send products with sell-by dates on Nov. 25 and 26. 

The OP said the pork would still be edible several days after the sell-by dates and even months later if frozen. At the very least, Walmart could have discounted the product rather than outright rejecting it.

"What a disgusting system. Treated with such cruelty and murdered just to be discarded. I have no words," one commenter said. 

"God, just think of the carbon footprint of this action. The industrial ag process that created the livestock feed, the meat packing, wrapping it all in plastic, shipping to Walmart - just to end up in the dump. If this isn't allegory for our times," another shared.

Thankfully, the pork didn't ultimately go to waste, according to an update from the trucker. "Just got word from my boss I have been instructed to take the load to our Denver terminal and leave it there for someone else to either deliver to another buyer or to donate to a Denver food bank," they said.

Why is food waste concerning?

Though companies sometimes have valid reasons for tossing food, such as avoiding liability for someone getting sick, it's still a huge waste of resources and contributes to pollution. 

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According to Feeding America, nearly 40% of all food in the U.S. goes unsold or uneaten, amounting to 145 billion meals' worth of food destined for landfills. When the food breaks down, it releases methane, a potent gas that traps heat in the atmosphere. Food waste accounts for 8% of all global pollution and most trash in landfills. 

When grocery stores and retailers have to throw away food, this may also drive up grocery prices and contribute to supply chain disruptions.  

Is Walmart doing anything about this?

Last year, Walmart announced a partnership with organic materials recycler Denali to keep millions of pounds of food waste out of landfills. 

According to its website, the retail giant also set a goal to reduce operational food loss and waste by 50% by 2030. It regularly donates unsold but still edible foods to food pantries through partnerships with Feeding America and other nonprofits.

As for the rejected pork, Walmart seems to have storewide policies that prevent it from accepting deliveries of foods with sell-by dates that fall on or near days it will be closed. 

What else are companies doing about food waste?

Albertsons has partnered with Uber to deliver surplus food from its stores to food banks and offers discounted food through Too Good To Go. In San Francisco, the organization ExtraFood is taking unsold food from grocery stores and distributing it to nonprofits, ensuring the rescued food goes to those who need it most. 

Consumers can help by composting food scraps and shopping smarter at the grocery store, which can save money on groceries and keep food out of landfills.

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