A Redditor's recent discovery behind a Dollar General store revealed dozens of packaged snacks and treats thrown away despite being perfectly edible.

What happened?

A user shared their find on the r/DumpsterDiving subreddit, showing cookies, wafer snacks, ice cream treats, and other packaged goods they recovered from a Dollar General dumpster. The photo displays stacks of Nilla wafers, Nutella products, Hostess cupcakes, and other shelf-stable snacks covering a floor.

"Pretty large haul. Dollar general. Five large bags full of ice cream we couldn't grab," the original poster wrote.

Other Reddit users celebrated the find. One commenter called any haul with snowballs "a certified blessing from the dumpster diving heavens above," adding that "they're delicious and is the snack of kings."

Another user said, "My family would be thrilled," as their family appreciates their dumpster diving efforts. The user joked that their household "get[s] tired of me bringing home produce."

Why is this concerning?

When stores toss packaged food, they waste far more than the products themselves. Every cookie, cracker, and frozen treat in that dumpster required energy to manufacture, package, transport, and refrigerate. Those processes released planet-warming pollution into the atmosphere.

Food production creates a substantial portion of that pollution linked to rising temperatures. When that food ends up in landfills, it also breaks down and releases a gas called methane, which traps heat in the atmosphere more efficiently than carbon dioxide.

The packaged goods in this haul could have fed multiple families. If they had stayed in the dumpster, they would've decomposed in a landfill while spewing harmful gases.

Is Dollar General doing anything about this waste?

Dollar General has not made public statements about food waste at its stores. The company has thousands of locations throughout the U.S., making its waste practices a matter of scale.

Many retail chains face challenges donating food due to liability concerns, though the Federal Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Act protects donors who give food in good faith. Some retailers have partnerships with food rescue organizations, though implementation varies by location.

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Store-level policies about markdowns versus disposal often depend on individual management decisions. Some locations reduce prices on items nearing their sell-by dates, while others dispose of products to avoid inventory complications.

What can I do about retail food waste?

You can support retailers that prioritize waste reduction through marked-down sections for near-date products. Many grocery stores now offer discount racks where you can buy perfectly good food at lower prices, keeping it out of dumpsters while saving money.

If you shop at stores with visible waste problems, mention your concerns to management. Customer feedback can influence corporate policies, particularly when multiple shoppers raise the same issue.

Local food banks and rescue organizations often accept packaged goods past their sell-by dates as long as the packaging is intact. Consider volunteering with these groups to redirect edible food to people who need it.

There are also solutions for disposing of spoiled or unsafe food without wasting it. It can be recycled into animal feed, biofuel, or compost. Nobody has to eat it for it to be salvaged.

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