Sometimes, stores have to throw out products. They might get damaged in shipping, they might be returns that aren't suitable for sale, or they might be something perishable that expires before they get sold. But sometimes, stores take it to extremes, as one did by throwing out a toy with a slightly damaged box.
What's happening?
This example comes from a Reddit post in r/Target. The original poster claimed to be an employee who snapped a photo on the job.
"WTF, Target? Are you for real?" asked the original poster. "Let this rot in the ground? Seriously? It's plastic; that's so much pollution and waste for something that could be donated and give a lil kid a smile who might not have anything else."
The photo shows a Barbie doll with mermaid- and unicorn-themed accessories. The toys are in a clear plastic box with slightly crumpled edges, but there's no visible damage to the toy, nor are there any missing parts.
Why is a Barbie doll important?
According to the Redditor, this toy was headed for the landfill. While one toy won't make much of a difference to the total amount of trash being thrown away, this policy — that any damaged boxes get discarded — is a major source of waste. The more items go to landfills, the more space is taken up by this slowly decomposing plastic, which will be around for a hundred years or more.
Meanwhile, as the original poster pointed out, the actual toy was in perfectly fine condition and could have made a huge difference to a child in need.
Is Target doing anything about this?
Other people spoke up about how they try to prevent situations like this.
"I chuck items like this in the donations bin every single time. Why waste something that can be enjoyed by somebody?" said one user.
Meanwhile, Target claims to be working on the problem of waste and said that in 2023, it diverted 85% of operational waste from landfills.
🗣️ 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
What's being done about plastic waste more broadly?
If you want to keep perfectly good items out of landfills while refusing to support wasteful corporations — not to mention save money at the same time — then you should shop at secondhand stores. Buying thrifted products lowers the demand for new ones and helps give new life to items that would otherwise be thrown away.
You can also eliminate plastic by looking for plastic-free alternatives to most products.
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