When running a grocery store, food may need to be discarded for safety reasons. However, waste can sometimes become excessive, especially when businesses are reluctant to donate their products. One poster on Reddit showed the internet a mind-boggling example.
What's happening?
They posted their experience in the "r/WalmartEmployees" subreddit. "Let's play a game called guess the price of the dumpster!" they said.
They then attached two photos: one showing a dumpster in the process of being filled with assorted cheeses and another where the massive container had been filled to the brim with other refrigerated products such as premade dips.
In a comment, they added, "It was all of the meat used in the deli that is not sold as well to include in the price," and later said, "There was more that wouldn't fit in the dumpster (about 15-20 buggies worth)."
Commenters' guesses ranged from the low end ($15,000) to the high ($400,000). But the actual price was still a shock to many.
As the original poster revealed, the wasted stock amounted to $115,000.
Why is food waste important?
If Walmart were footing the bill for this, $115,000 would be a drop in the bucket. But large corporations don't just passively absorb the cost of loss. They factor it into their operating costs, which determine the prices of the goods they sell. That means you, the consumer, pay more for the items you buy whenever you shop at Walmart to cover the inevitable fact that the store won't be able to sell everything it stocks.
Meanwhile, all of that food that could have been eaten goes to waste, leaving many people hungry. While the original poster did not explain the exact circumstances of this mass disposal, and some of the food may have already gone bad, it is likely that much of it was still safe to eat.
"I asked why they couldn't donate what was obviously still good and they said because if someone was to get sick from it they could sue them for it," said the OP. In reality, there are laws in place to protect those who donate food in good faith, but many companies still won't take the chance or spare the expense.
Even if food can't be donated for human consumption, it can still be turned into compost, animal feed, or biofuel. Just throwing it away is wasteful.
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Heck yes 👍 Is Walmart doing anything about this?
Walmart is working on programs to divert food waste at many of its locations. For example, it has partnered with organic materials recycler Denali to expedite the de-packaging of food, making it easier to recycle. Although this incident highlights the need for further improvement, every pound of food diverted from the landfill represents a pound of resources saved.
What can I do about food waste?
If you want to prevent food from being sent to the landfill, consider using an app like Too Good To Go, which allows retailers to offer food at a discount when it is nearing expiration. It's still perfectly safe to eat, you'll save a lot of money, and you may end up trying options that you hadn't considered before. It's a win-win.
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