A store decided to toss out 2025 planners months before anyone could pencil in a single plan.
What's happening?
In a Reddit post, an employee shared a photo of stacks of unsold 2025 calendars being trashed by their store. Despite being fresh off the delivery truck, the calendars were discarded rather than donated.
The original poster explained that their location is "a tiny town in the middle of nowhere," and the nearest donation center is about 100 miles away. Management concluded that the time and cost of donating, roughly $50 in gas and four hours of driving, weren't worth it.
"So maddening. Literally no one benefitted from these being produced," one commenter said. "All the paper and ink, all the production, the human labor, all the cost, completely wasted."
The calendars reportedly covered October 2024 through December 2025 and were discarded in their entirety, even though there were months left to sell them.
Why is seasonal waste important?
Discarding usable merchandise is not only economically wasteful, but environmentally damaging.
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Calendars, while small, are made with paper, ink, and plastic coatings, all of which require raw materials, water, and energy to produce. Wasting them unnecessarily adds to landfills, contributes to harmful gas emissions, and increases pressure on resource-intensive supply chains.
Additionally, this kind of routine disposal reflects a broader issue in retail: Profit-driven logistics often prioritize convenience over sustainability, even when alternative options like donation or deep discounting are available.
Is the company doing anything about this?
The specific store brand isn't named in the Reddit thread, and the chain hasn't issued any statement.
That said, this isn't a one-off issue. Seasonal goods waste is common across many large retailers. They are often produced in larger quantities than the season demands, leading to massive waste when unsold items are tossed shortly after the season ends. Their short lifespans also promote a throwaway culture, further exacerbating waste.
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Heck yes 👍 What's being done about waste more broadly?
Some U.S. retailers, including Target and Walmart, have partnered with organizations like Good360 and Feeding America to prevent unsold goods from ending up in landfills.
In France, legislation now bans supermarkets from destroying unsold goods, instead requiring them to donate. Canada and the UK have seen similar initiatives proposed.
As an individual, you can help reduce this kind of disposal by choosing to support zero-waste or refill stores. Additionally, choosing to buy secondhand at thrift stores can reduce the number of items that go to waste.
This incident highlights how corporate policies, or a lack thereof, can lead to wasteful practices. It also indicates a clear need for improved logistics and planning to make it easier for everyone to donate.
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