Reddit Post Shows Dumpster Full of Cat Food, Proves Food Waste Is Ubiquitous

A post shared to the subreddit r/DumpsterDiving highlights how prevalent food waste truly is. However, it is not only human food that is wasted. The post shows a dumpster filled with bags of discarded cat food. This image highlights how ubiquitous food waste is. Accompanying the photo is a caption that reads, “What a waste”. The post does not identify what store threw away the food, or why.

What a waste 🤦🏽‍♀️
byu/Serenitygen inDumpsterDiving

In the picture, viewers can see that the bags had all been cut open. This prevented the user who posted the image from salvaging them. Although it is unclear why the food was thrown away, several comments pointed out that it may be due to a recall on the specific brand of cat food. Additionally, it is also possible that the food had expired. However, many comments pointed out that food near expiration could have been donated to local shelters. Others pointed out that while many companies have policies to minimize food waste (such as moving old products to the front of the shelf when restocking), they may avoid donating expired or near expired food due to fear of legal action if an animal becomes ill. 

Food waste is a problem that significantly contributes to climate change. Cat food, like the discarded items pictured, is typically made from animal products. These can require high amounts of natural resources to produce. Sadly, wasted food that is thrown away typically ends up in landfills. There, off-gassing as the food decomposes produces harmful greenhouse gasses. 

We encourage everyone thinking of getting a pet to only adopt instead of shopping. Read more resources about adopting animals on One Green Planet, including 7 Reasons to Adopt Your Next Furry Best Friend, 5 Reasons Why Everyone Should Adopt a Pet, and These Heartwarming Before and After Pictures of Adopted Rescue Animals Will Make Your Day! Read tips for pet adoptions and what to consider before adopting an animal. We recommend using these apps to find shelter dogs near you!

Best Things In Life Are Rescued by Tiny Rescue: Animal Collection

Related Content: 

• States Fight Food Waste & Curb Hunger Through New Programs 
• Petition: Commit to Composting and Help Curb Food Waste 
• Food Waste Is Filling US Landfills and Emitting Harmful Greenhouse Gases, EPA Data Finds 
• 200 Major Food Companies Commit to Reduce Food Waste 
• Reduce Food Waste With These 10 Multi-Functional Ingredients 

Easy Ways to Help the Planet:

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• Do What You Can: Reduce waste, plant trees, eat local, travel responsibly, reuse stuff, say no to single-use plastics, recycle, vote smart, switch to cold water laundry, divest from fossil fuels, save water, shop wisely, Donate if you can, grow your food, volunteer, conserve energy, compost, and don’t forget about the microplastics and microbeads lurking in common household and personal care products!