It’s always disappointing to see perfectly good food going to waste, especially when you’re the one who has to throw it out.
A Reddit user shared a photo of a cart full of unsold cereal and snacks being dumped into the trash while at work at a local dollar store.
what’s happening?
Employees expressed frustration at having to get rid of boxed food, writing, “It was all expired, but most of it wasn’t even close to expired. Instead of being donated it all just ended up in the trash, which is really tough every time.”
Photo credit: Reddit
The food was slightly expired, but as Reddit users pointed out, one commenter believed the food was salvageable. [of] “It should be fine for another month or two without preservatives,” they wrote.
The original poster simply replied, “Definitely.”
“I hate wasting food. Imagine how many people in the world would benefit from it. We throw away so much stuff. Even in the US, there are people who don’t know where their next meal is coming from,” shared another user.
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Why is food waste a problem?
As the Redditor pointed out, food insecurity is a major issue in the US, with around 44 million people in the country, including 13 million children, expected to experience hunger by 2022, according to Feeding America.
According to the USDA, companies must take precautions to make sure food is safe to eat before donating it, but most processed foods on store shelves are still edible past their “best before” date.
🗣️ Should grocery stores throw away food that’s still edible? 🔘 Yes 👍 🔘 No 👎 🗳️ Click on the options to see your results and give your opinion
Food waste is a complex issue, and while companies try to prevent people from getting sick from expired food, donating it when you can could help solve the hunger crisis and reduce waste in landfills at the same time. The USDA reports that 30-40% of the U.S. food supply is wasted, which, as it decomposes, leads to pollution that contributes to global warming.
Are companies doing anything about this?
It’s unclear which dollar store the poster works at or what that particular store’s policy is regarding food donations, but Dollar Tree has taken steps to make its operations more sustainable, including increasing recycling efforts and offering more eco-friendly products.
As for food waste, major grocery chains have taken steps to preserve food: Kroger in Little Rock, for example, donated over 76,000 pounds of food to a local food bank after its stores lost power, and Trader Joe’s gave customers thousands of dollars’ worth of free groceries when their refrigerators broke.
What measures are being taken to address food waste more broadly?
A study by the Pacific Coast Collaborative found that Pacific Coast grocery stores reduced unsold food waste by about 190,000 tons between 2019 and 2022. Researchers found that donations of unsold food increased by 20% and composting rates rose by 28% during that time period.
If you have excess fresh food at home that you can’t eat or donate, composting is a great way to recycle those leftovers and help your garden flourish.
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