What Dollar Tree Does With Unsold Food, According To Reddit

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Food waste is a big problem in America. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, more food gets sent to municipal solid waste landfills in the U.S. than any other material. Some grocery stores are fighting this problem by donating their unsold goods. Aldi's leftover food supplies end up at local food banks. Similarly, Costco donates some of its unsold fruits, veggies, and other groceries to charitable organizations that help people in need. In other cases, items might end up in the hands of farmers who use it to feed livestock. Sustainability-minded consumers who shop at the Dollar Tree may wonder if it adopts similar solutions. According to store associates on Reddit, the chain throws the unpurchased food away instead.

If you check the Dollar Tree website, you'll find that the company says it's committed to reducing waste and greenhouse gas emissions. As of this writing, there are no specifics about food. However, one commenter on Reddit claimed, "Company policy expressly forbids giving away or donating unsold or out of date items." Some self-identified employees reported in a separate Reddit thread that their locations mark down items approaching their expiration dates to 50 cents and later to 25 cents. The stores purportedly set these goods out in specially marked carts. "We have [people] who will buy the whole cart," said one user. But if no one snatches the products up, they are inevitably tossed in the dumpster. One unhappy poster complained that a series of marked-down frozen foods, including ice cream and chicken sandwiches, met that fate when nobody bought them.

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The fact that businesses sometimes throw out usable products makes activities like dumpster diving popular. People have shared pictures and videos of Dollar Tree trash receptacles filled with food on both Reddit and YouTube. Folks have found thawed frozen entrees, French bread pizzas, and waffles as well as unopened bags of chips and cookies. Of course, not all of these items will end up in someone's home.

Some dumpster divers will not take food that has been left to thaw due to the increased risk of foodborne illness. A commenter on YouTube said that "the only food [they] would take and use is fresh vegetables that you know dont rely on preservatives or cold temps." Another person on Reddit remarked, "This is the one and only reason I look forward to winter here in the northeast US. For like 4 months of the year, every dumpster is a freezer. No spoilage (after being throw out at least, use your eyes and nose still), no bugs, no mystery trash juice and no hot garbage smell."