A Walmart store may have taken the old adage about bananas going bad in the blink of an eye a little too literally, slating nearly 200 pounds of the popular fruit for one unique type of dumpster.
What's happening?
In Reddit's r/walmart, an employee shared a photo of "180 pounds' worth" of bananas and said they were "all going into the compost dumpster" — a decision they found to be, well, "bananas," likely because most of the fruit was still a vibrant yellow.
"10/10, totally bananas," another Redditor agreed.
Why is this important?
Dumping bananas in a composting bin is better than sending them to a landfill, where they'd account for far more planet-overheating methane without offering any positive returns.
With composting, Walmart is transforming its food waste into nutrient-rich fertilizer that it can resell, per the Institute of Sustainability Studies, promoting a more circular economy.
However, this process still requires energy, adding to the carbon footprint of a banana supply chain that may rely on toxic chemical fertilizers or pesticides, plastic, and gas-powered harvesting tools, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Then there are energy costs associated with transport and refrigeration.
With millions of U.S. residents struggling to put enough food on the table and plenty of tasty recipes available that incorporate overripe bananas, it's worth wondering whether pulling the plug on selling the bananas for human consumption was premature.
Why would Walmart rush to compost the bananas?
Since 2006, Walmart and its subsidiary Sam's Club have donated over 9 billion pounds of food to Feeding America and its partners.
However, many consumers avoid buying less than perfect-looking produce. Walmart may have determined the bananas were at risk of turning brown sooner rather than later and that keeping them in the stockroom or on the floor would back up operations or reduce daily sales. Donating ugly produce also would've likely presented logistical and brand-image challenges.
"My produce back room gets so hot. If no one air stacks them that day, the next day they are almost spoiled," one Reddit user shared. "Had to dispose of 800lbs before cuz of that."
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Giving me money back 💰 "Sadly, most companies are fine with wasting a ton of bananas. They are grown in very large quantities and then sold very cheaply so wasting a good amount isn't a big deal," another said.
How can I combat food waste more broadly?
While food safety is a complex issue, with retailers such as Kroger and Trader Joe's donating perishable goods during power outages to prevent them from spoiling, funny-looking produce isn't inherently unsafe to eat and doesn't necessarily have an inferior taste.
Misfits Market has prevented millions of pounds of food from going to waste while saving consumers money on groceries it sources for flavor and quality rather than appearance. You can also keep many items fresh for longer at home by storing them in your freezer.
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