It's always disheartening to see stores wasting products, but it can be especially painful when those products are alive. One TikToker just called out Lowe's Home Improvement for the number of plants they found being thrown away at her local store.
What's happening?
The video comes from TikToker Jodi (@groomerjodi), and the video's caption says: "Terribly saddened by the amount of living plants being thrown away at Lowe's."
@groomerjodi #savetheplants #theyarentdead #dontstopbelieving #sad #lowesclearance #loweshomeimprovement #plants #plantsoftiktok @Lowe's ♬ Danger - SoundAudio
Over dramatic music, the video shows two large trash bins full of plants. One is overflowing with potted ferns, and the other is a jumble of plants and flowers, including some marigolds. While some do look wilted, most appear to still be alive.
"Wait till you find out about the stores spraying them with bleach so you can't rescue them," said one commenter.
"I asked if I could get these out of the trash," Jodi replied. "I even Said I would pay... they told me no because the store already 'counted them gone.' I can't stand it!"
This isn't the first time someone has taken to social media to complain about Lowe's wasting plants. Even employees have posted about this unpleasant part of their jobs.
Why are a few dying plants important?
Each plant and, in general, every product in every store represents an investment. It takes time, land, water, energy, and resources to grow them — not to mention the fuel used and the air pollution created by transporting them on trucks and trains. One garbage can full of flowers might not seem like a lot in the grand scheme of things, but when you take the waste being thrown out every day and multiply it by the thousands of stores across America, it adds up.
For shoppers, that means higher prices as stores try to raise profits to cover the losses. For the planet, that means much more waste and pollution than necessary as growers have to not only meet demand but grow extra to make up for what's thrown away.
Plus, plants rotting in landfills release methane.
Is Lowe's doing anything about this?
According to Lowe's, one of the company's sustainability goals is to "refine our supply chain to operate more efficiently, including the reduction of waste and our carbon footprint."
As one commenter pointed out, the store does take some steps to try to reduce waste, and shoppers can help.
"You've got to make friends with the garden center checkout gang, ask what days they purge, then swoop in and get them 75% off," said the user.
Indeed, buying salvaged Lowe's plants on clearance can save you a ton of money while rescuing plants that would otherwise go to the dump — and with a little TLC, they'll often perk right back up.
What's being done about reducing waste more broadly?
Growing fruits and veggies helps improve the environment while avoiding the plastic trash that food comes packaged in. You can also compost food scraps and yard waste as well as support companies that adopt similar eco-friendly practices with their waste.
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