Grocery store employee sparks debate after sharing photo of management's questionable action: 'Depressing'

A supermarket employee's Reddit post ignited concern after they shared a photo showing 11 cartons of eggs destined for the dumpster.

What happened?

The Reddit post appeared in the r/anticonsumption community. It showed stacks of perfectly good egg cartons being thrown away simply because they hadn't sold at their marked price. The employee expressed frustration at the routine nature of this waste, calling it "depressing."

The worker explained that unsold eggs priced at $10.49 per dozen were destined for disposal, adding that they regularly discard "eggs, sandwiches, milk" worth "hundreds of dollars" weekly. The post also mentioned that staff are prohibited from taking any of the excess food home.

A commenter connected the dots between grocery waste and global hunger: "The food waste problem by grocery stores is out of control. It's another example of how the hunger problem here and around the world is clearly manufactured for the profits of the parasitic ownership class."

Why is food waste concerning?

When food, such as these eggs, gets tossed into landfills, it produces methane as it decomposes, a gas that makes our planet hotter. This waste happens at a massive scale: an estimated 30–40% of food produced in America gets thrown away, with grocery stores being major contributors.

This practice continues while millions of Americans face food insecurity. The juxtaposition of wasting perfectly edible food while people go hungry points to distribution problems rather than actual scarcity.

Is the grocery store doing anything about this?

The post doesn't identify the specific store, making it difficult to assess their overall food waste policies.

Many major grocers have started implementing food waste reduction programs, including donations to food banks, composting initiatives, and clearance sections for nearly expired items.

However, policies that prevent employees from taking home food that would otherwise be discarded are common in the industry, often due to liability concerns.

What's being done about food waste more broadly?

Some states and cities have passed legislation prohibiting food waste disposal in landfills. Organizations like Feeding America connect grocers with food banks to reroute excess food to people in need.

Should grocery stores donate food that's past its sell-by date? Yes — as long as it's not bad Yes — but only certain foods Only if it doesn't cost the store No — it could lead to problems Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

Technology is helping, too. Apps like Too Good To Go allow businesses to sell surplus food at reduced prices rather than throw it away.

Shoppers can help by buying "ugly" produce that might otherwise be discarded, planning meals carefully to reduce home food waste, and supporting businesses with strong food donation programs.

Some communities have created "community fridges" where businesses and individuals can leave excess food for anyone who needs it, creating informal redistribution networks that benefit everyone.

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