Overstocking stores and then throwing away the extra products is a sadly common business practice that results in countless waste every year. One Lowe's employee has highlighted how this tactic is playing out at their store location.
What's happening?
The employee's post appeared on r/gardening with eight photos to back up their story. "It's late in the season, so Lowe's is throwing out their vegetable plants," they claimed. "These are perfectly fine plants, but this time tomorrow, they'll all be thrown out."
Their photos feature rack after rack of seemingly healthy plants on their way out of the garden center.
This isn't the first time Lowe's has been called out for this practice. Both customers and employees have reported seeing piles of plants on the chopping block. Sometimes they're dying or damaged, but often they're salvageable plants that the store refuses to sell or give away.
Why are wasted plants important?
Every item on store shelves takes energy and resources to manufacture. Potted plants use up seeds, soil, water, and plastic, and they pollute the environment with pesticides and fertilizer, as well as the air pollution caused by transporting them.
Nevertheless, if they were purchased and taken home, they could do incredible good. The plants could help purify the air, and many of the vegetable plants would help gardeners grow their own food. Even reclaiming the potting soil and plant matter and recycling it into fertilizer would help grow more plants. By sending it to a landfill, Lowe's is wasting all that potential and all those resources — plus, it drives up the cost of the products the store does sell to cover the losses.
Is Lowe's doing anything about this?
In this case, the original poster's manager did take some steps to mitigate the damage. "We have a lot left, so our manager is letting us take what we want for free," said the OP. "I hate letting anything go to waste, so I'm getting plants for everyone I know."
Lowe's will also sometimes put older or overstocked plants on clearance, which means customers can get these eco-friendly items for cheap while keeping them out of landfills.
Overall, Lowe's claims it is working on a range of sustainability goals, including reducing waste.
What can I do about wasted plants?
Shopping for plants on clearance is a good way to rescue ones that are on their way to being thrown out. You can also look for providers that are more responsible in how they handle waste, composting and recycling wherever possible.
Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Cool Picks
