According to one Redditor, McDonald's allegedly throws out so much food it has an itemized form to track the cost.
The user shared a photo of a form labeled "Waste Sheet," with sections for breakfast dishes, regular menu items, and desserts. Each section includes entries for individual products, blanks to write down how many have been thrown away throughout the day, and the cost to the store for each discarded item. This process aims to help franchise owners track just how much money is being spent on wasted inventory.
Commenters are frustrated at the amount of food going into the trash.
"I worked in fast food when I was a teenager," says one user. "It was always so crazy to me that we had to throw everything in the garbage end of the day rather than anyone taking it home. They said it would make people throw more food out so they could take it home."
The original poster responds, "I always hated throwing it away too."
Sometimes, though, employees defy those rules. "I had a friend who worked at the arches and he'd hand us bags full of single hamburgers and fries near closing," claims one commenter.
Many restaurants throw out food they can't sell, even if it's completely edible. While some, like this Detroit pizzeria, adjust their menu and buying practices to minimize waste, others simply factor the loss into their prices — costing buyers more and creating pollution by increasing the amount of food that is shipped to their location.
Many fast-food employees in similar positions find their own ways to minimize waste. For example, one TikToker recently claimed she usually gets extra helpings of hot items like proteins at Sweetgreen if she goes near closing time when the unused food would otherwise be thrown out. Apps like Flashfood and Too Good To Go also help buyers find deals on food that's about to be tossed in the trash, saving both businesses and customers money.
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