A disturbing amount of perfectly good products end up in landfills every year — sometimes they've never even been used.
The self-proclaimed Dumpster Dive King (@dumpsterdiveking) sifted through a pet store's garbage in a video, showing how this happens along with the perks of dumpster diving.
@dumpsterdiveking What pet stores don't want you to know is in the dumpsters !! Look for your self you'll see 👀!! $1000s of dollars of pet food wasted weekly 🐕 🐈 🐹 🐦 #dumpsterdiving #dumpsterdiveking #dog #pet #cat #food ♬ Drill - Hazzle
The dumpster had metal dog bowls and 13 bags of unopened dog food, some of which didn't expire until 2025.
"This is a sad dumpster," Dumpster Dive King said in the video.
The neighboring dumpster, meant for recyclables, was filled with bird, rabbit, and ferret food. One bag of ferret food alone cost $70.
"It's endless. It's never ending," the gloved dumpster diver said, rightfully frustrated.
Unfortunately, this isn't all that uncommon in business practice. Companies such as Walmart and unspecified dollar stores have been caught doing the exact same thing. Even one bag of food represents a giant waste of resources, including water, packaging, and fuel.
Donating or selling things you no longer need or want is always a better option than tossing it in the trash. Our landfills emit a cocktail of toxic gases, including methane, which is responsible for more than 25% of warming temperatures, according to the U.N. Environment Programme.
Anything we can do to keep items out of our landfills will help prevent waste and cool our planet. If you're not ready to go dumpster diving yourself, there are plenty of other ways to minimize food waste and score discounts at the same time.
Flashfood directs shoppers to grocery stores with surplus produce and food items nearing their expiration date. Imperfect Foods, now available in most U.S. states, discounts produce and foods and delivers right to your doorstep
Dumpster Dive King's haul attracted lots of attention with 113.5K likes. Many commenters warned to be sure the product wasn't recalled before using or donating it — a good rule of thumb with any dumpster dive. However, Dumpster Dive King assured everyone in the comments that none of the food he found was recalled, as he always checks.
"This is ridiculous," a TikToker wrote.
"Just goes to show they have 1000% markup otherwise they couldn't afford to waste like this," another wrote.
"When I was a manager for a big pet food chain, as long as the food was good, we would set it up nicely outside the dumpster and call our local rescues," another person shared.
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