Some food waste is unavoidable — think trimmings from vegetables and meat or unintentional spoilage. But at other times, businesses throw food away much too casually. One Publix employee called out their workplace for this type of needless waste in a recent Reddit post.
What's happening?
They shared their thoughts in r/Publix along with photos of the problem. "All the bread left at the end of the night," they explained. "We can't save it for tomorrow or donate it. We've got to throw it all away."
Their photos show a large bakery rack full of the small loaves of white bread used to make sub sandwiches. In a comment, they tallied up the waste.
"All in all, it was 120 pieces of white bread," they said. "About $210 worth of bread."
"Why is this not allowed to be donated, out of curiosity?" asked a commenter.
"So that people won't take advantage and overbake to bring free ones home by design/on purpose," answered another user. "This is what I've been told when asked at several retailers."
Why is the wasted food important?
As some commenters pointed out, the price of a loaf of bread is much higher than what it costs to manufacture. When the original poster gave their price estimate, another user said, "That's retail price. Actual cost would be more like $60 or so for the deli. Actual cost from the bakery would be even lower."
While some of that is explained by the business's need to make a profit, the number is also inflated to cover losses. The bread that actually sells is more expensive to make up for the bread that doesn't, passing the cost to consumers.
Meanwhile, the ingredients, energy, and labor needed to make the bread go to waste when it gets thrown out. That means our society as a whole uses more resources than necessary, and that puts a strain on our environment. It also leads to excess pollution from energy use and transportation.
🗣️ 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
Is Publix doing anything about this?
In 2020, Publix made a statement saying it is "intolerant of waste." On its sustainability page, the company also says it diverts food waste from its manufacturing plants to become animal feed. In 2023, it said it diverted over 49 million pounds of food waste by-products.
However, that still leaves a lot of waste in stores. This isn't the first time Publix has been called out for the issue.
What can I do to prevent food waste?
If you're tired of the way corporations waste food, you can hold them accountable by shopping somewhere else. Local suppliers may be available with more eco-friendly policies. For some items, you can even grow your own food at home, slashing your grocery bill and your pollution all at once.
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