Trucker shares photo of upsetting scene after Costco refuses to accept delivery: 'I just don't see any rhyme or reason'

When the delivery of a pallet of juice was refused by Costco because the pallet was not perfect, the upset truck driver posted a photo on Reddit. 

"I just don't see any rhyme or reason," shared one commenter.

The pallet in question showed signs of slight damage, but the products in the photo appeared to be in deliverable — if not excellent — condition. The original poster said that Costco would only accept perfect pallets and that it was the Costco employee who was unloading the product who actually broke the pallet. 

Most of the commenters in the Reddit forum dedicated to truckers complained about the unreasonable standards at Costco and other retailers that accept deliveries. But the overarching concern was about the food waste that occurs in situations like this.

Food waste is a huge problem. Not only is the approximately 92 billion pounds of food that is thrown away in the United States annually wasted when it could potentially go to hungry people instead, but 145 billion meals worth of food ends up in landfills, where it can pollute the soil, air, and water supply as it decomposes. 

According to Feeding America, food waste is responsible for "8% of all global carbon emissions." And these statistics don't even include spoiled food — only good, safe-to-eat food.

Grocery stores and restaurants are the largest contributors to this problem. And food is wasted for several reasons — sometimes it's because produce is oddly shaped or because it has an upcoming sell-by or expiration date. Sometimes it's due to overproduction at farms or food becoming damaged during transport.

When a retailer rejects a food delivery, the product is often thrown away. But there are ways to help reduce food waste.

If the food is still good, retailers could sell it at a reduced price. The product could also be donated to a food bank or shelter for people experiencing homelessness.

What's the most common reason you end up throwing away food? Bought more than I could eat Went bad sooner than I expected Forgot it was in the fridge Didn't want leftovers Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

One grocery store gave away refrigerated and frozen foods to customers when the business's power went out. The store policy allowed employees to give away food that they could not sell, preventing unnecessary waste.

With options to help reduce food waste readily available, it is understandable that the OP and others participating in the thread were so dismayed by what happened.

"Such a shame and a huge waste," said one commenter. 

Another said, "I really absolutely hate when food goes to waste when there are so many people in this world … that go hungry."

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