When operating a large grocery store, some food waste is inevitable, as it's impossible to perfectly predict what will sell and as some items may be damaged by accident. However, sloppy practices can multiply that waste a thousandfold.
One Redditor documented an incredible series of violations on a visit to Walmart and shared their outrage online.
What's happening?
The photos appeared in r/Walmart with the title "Good luck guys."
In the photos, stocking carts, displays, and boxes are piled high with food, including hot dogs, macaroni, and other processed or ready-to-eat items in the perishable section. The quantities are excessive, and the original poster confirmed that they were not moving as quickly as they should.
"Everything was expired," they said in a comment, and followed up with, "Also recovery in food and consumables should never look or work that way. Everything is smashed. And where's the thermometer?"
A knowledgeable commenter added their own critique. "As deep as the hotdogs are, I'll bet the ones on the bottom are expired as well," they said. "As someone who worked in grocery stores before Walmart, the waste is mind-boggling."
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This is far from the first time Walmart has been called out for wasteful policies regarding the expired food on its shelves.
Why are the wasteful practices at this Walmart important?
While individuals and home cooks may worry about food waste in their kitchens, the real culprits behind significant food waste are major corporations. Walmart and other large companies throw out tons upon tons of food every year, and regular consumers foot the bill while suffering the consequences.
After all, these companies don't just swallow the cost of the discarded food. The loss is factored into their operational costs, which determine the prices for the items they do sell.
Meanwhile, much of the discarded food ends up in landfills, where it releases methane as it decomposes, polluting the air and trapping heat in our atmosphere.
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The temperature in my home 🌡️ Is Walmart doing anything about this?
According to Walmart, it is aiming for a 50% reduction in food waste by 2030 compared to 2016. As of 2023, it had achieved 21%.
Among its initiatives to reduce its food waste, it has started collecting food and removing packaging to prepare it for recycling by organic materials recycler Denali. However, the availability of this program — and the effectiveness of food waste reduction policies in general — varies by location.
What can I do about food waste?
If you prefer not to support large corporations that waste food, you can grow your own food at home. Alternatively, if you want to reduce the waste at these large companies, you can support programs like Too Good To Go, which salvages food that is close to its expiration and sells it for a discount.
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