‘This makes me so angry’

It’s a common but always shocking business tactic: Many companies throw away unsold products instead of discounting or donating them. One social media user was confronted with this disappointing reality on a recent visit to a Family Dollar store.

What is happening?

TikToker Denise Durfee (@believeinyrdreams) posted a video about her experience.

@believeinyrdreams Unbelievable #waste#food#trashbin#trash#clothes ♬ original sound – Dee💕

“I was at a Family Dollar in one town… shopping,” she says in the video. “I heard the employees talking and they were very angry.”

Recently, a store policy was changed, according to Durfee, who questioned employees about the issue. It concerned the seasonal and holiday items left over when the next season arrived.

“From what I understand, I think in the past employees could take some items if they wanted and then the rest would be donated,” she says. “Well, now, this year, it has changed, and all employees are instructed to put all leftover…decorations that were not sold in the recycling bin.”

Durfee saw the waste for herself. “I actually went to the back of the store and looked in the bin,” she says. “It was overloaded with box after box after box, not even opened.”

She was deeply disturbed by the practice, which she said also extended to the store’s food and clothing. “When I see this waste, I feel disgusted and very angry,” she says.

Why is this waste important?

A few Christmas decorations may not seem like much of a loss, and it’s true that no one has ever gone hungry or gone bankrupt for lack of a fall-themed candle or other decoration.

However, every useful item thrown away is one that a family in need could have used.

Additionally, each product on display costs time, labor, energy, and materials to manufacture. When these items are thrown away, more items must be manufactured to replace what was lost, increasing pressure on the workforce, the power grid, and the environment — all of which are necessary to produce the materials.

Is Family Dollar doing anything about this?

According to Family Dollar’s 2023 sustainability report, reducing waste in its operations is a long-term goal. The company highlights efforts to bale and recycle cardboard boxes — an initiative that has not yet spread to all stores. There is also a battery recycling program that appears to be widespread, and initiatives to compost food and recycle electronics and chemicals, which were only in use in a few stores at the time of the report.

What can I do about unnecessary waste?

For ordinary citizens, the best way to pressure companies to reduce waste is to support brands and initiatives that address the problem. You can also reduce the demand for wasted products – and save money – by buying secondhand. Find ways to eliminate unnecessary waste from your life, especially plastic.

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