A new employee at one of Kwik Trip's convenience stores discovered that they were unprepared for the disheartening amount of food they threw away each day. 

What's happening?

In Reddit's r/KwikTrip community, the employee explained that the company's training videos couldn't offset the shock they felt when they realized how much food ended up in the trash.

"The Kwik trip I work at is surrounded by a not so wealthy community and it breaks my heart seeing all the food that gets wasted when I know it could easily go to those in need," they wrote. "If you know something isn't very popular why make like 8 of it … it's really sad."

Why is this important?

While other Kwik Trip employees chimed in to suggest food waste was also an issue at their locations, employees at other major retailers such as Target and Walmart have shared anecdotes that reveal the problem goes beyond just one company's actions — and the data supports that.

According to Feeding America, nearly 40% of food in the country goes unsold or uneaten, with the equivalent of 145 billion meals' worth of food ending up in methane-generating landfills. 

This isn't just bad for the environment. It also wastes resources that could go toward feeding the 47 million people struggling with food insecurity, and it represents $473 billion in lost value.

Is Kwik Trip doing anything to reduce food waste?

Like other food sellers, Kwik Trip must adhere to strict food safety regulations. While The Cool Down couldn't find specific policies involving Kwik Trip-led donations of unsold food, the company has programs for organizations to get the ball rolling by submitting donation requests.  

"A lot of KTs have deals with local food banks/shelters and they donate through that way," one Redditor wrote in the thread.

"We donate everything that is safe to donate. Some stuff just isn't," another said in response to a Facebook question about food waste at Kwik Trip.

Yet several employees suggested in the r/KwikTrip thread that the company could benefit from reexamining its production plans and food management policies. 

What single change would make the biggest dent in your personal food waste? Not buying food I don't need 🧐 Freezing my food before it goes bad 🧊 Using my leftovers more effectively 🍲 Composting my food scraps 🌱 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

"My store is actually on an action plan because our waste is too low. That shows them that we're not putting out enough food, especially that early morning breakfast rush," one said. 

"If our waste is nothing, that means we didn't have enough food out and some people left empty handed," another said. "It's alllllll about the numbers at the end of the day."

What else can be done to reduce food waste?

Kwik Trip isn't alone in at least having some initiative leading to reduced food waste. Kroger and Trader Joe's are also among the food sellers that have offloaded food to consumers at no cost when their refrigeration or freezer systems have failed.

To that end, multiple social media users revealed their trick to help keep items fresh for longer: a freezer. "At my store when food comes off the hot spot we freeze it and then once a week Feeding America picks it up," one Kwik Trip employee wrote on Facebook. You can reduce food waste in your daily life using the same hack.

Also, keep in mind that if something is no longer fit for consumption, you may be able to throw it in your compost bin. This will not only transform your food scraps into a nutrient-rich fertilizer that supports soil health but also help prevent as many heat-trapping gases from entering the atmosphere. The Environmental Protection Agency has a breakdown of items ideal for backyard composting.

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