It's a common business tactic, but it's still shocking every time: Many companies throw out unsold products rather than discounting or donating them. One social media user was confronted with that disappointing reality on a recent visit to a Family Dollar store.
What's happening?
TikToker Denise Durfee (@believeinyrdreams) posted a video about her experience.
@believeinyrdreams Unbelievable #waste#food#dumpster#garbage#clothes ♬ original sound - Dee💕
"I was in a Family Dollar in a town ... shopping," she says in the video. "I overheard the employees talking, and they were so angry."
A policy had recently been changed at the store, according to Durfee, who questioned the employees about the problem. It concerned the seasonal and holiday items left over when the next season came around.
"From what I understand, I guess the employees were allowed in the past to take a few items if they wanted, and then the rest of the things were donated," she says. "Well, now, this year, it's changed, and all the employees are told to put all the leftover ... decorations that were not sold in the dumpster."
Durfee saw the waste for herself. "I actually went in the back of the store and I looked in the dumpster," she says. "It was just overloaded with box after box after box, not even open."
She was deeply disturbed by the practice, which she says also extended to the food and clothing items in the store. "When I see this sheer waste, it disgusts me and it makes me so angry," she says.
Why is this waste important?
A few holiday decorations might not seem like much of a loss, and it's true that no one ever starved or went bankrupt for lack of a fall-themed candle or other decor.
However, every useful item that gets thrown away is one that a family in need could have used.
Plus, each and every product on display costs time, labor, energy, and materials to make. When those items are thrown away, more items need to be made to replace what's lost, increasing strain on the workforce, power grid, and environment — all of which are needed to produce the materials.
Is Family Dollar doing anything about this?
According to Family Dollar's 2023 sustainability report, reducing waste across its operations is a long-term goal. The company points to efforts to bale and recycle cardboard boxes — an initiative that has not yet spread to all stores. There is also a program to recycle batteries that appears to be widespread and initiatives to compost food and recycle electronics and chemicals, which were in use at only some stores at the time of the report.
What can I do about unnecessary waste?
For the average person, the best way to pressure companies to reduce waste is to support brands and initiatives that address the problem. You can also reduce demand for wasteful products — and save money — by buying secondhand. Find ways to cut unnecessary waste from your life, especially plastic.
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