An employee shared a shocking scene at a Walmart store after a reported 14-hour power outage.

What's happening?

In a Reddit post on r/walmart, the person uploaded photos showing rows of carts filled with discarded groceries piled up behind a Walmart location, as well as pictures of the store's interior, where shelves and cases sat empty. 

"14 hour power outage leads to literally everything cold being tossed," said the caption.

Commenters — some of whom identified as Walmart employees — chimed in to say similar waste events had happened at their stores during blackouts, citing expired safety windows, the potential for using refrigeration trucks, and scenarios that prevent the donation of perishable goods.

"Yeah 14 hours is no joke," one commenter said. "A lot of that food will actually be a real safety hazard."

"Ours went down for a few hours, we had to fill a dumpster. Local homeless had a field day. It was like a 250k loss," said another.

Why is food waste important?

Food waste is a growing concern worldwide, not just because of the money lost, but because of its toll on the environment. 

When food is tossed before it's eaten, all of the energy, water, land, and labor used to grow and transport it are also wasted. And once that food ends up in landfills, it contributes to emitting methane, a powerful planet-warming gas.

The USDA estimates that up to 40% of food in the U.S. goes uneaten. At the same time, 47 million Americans, including 14 million children, experience food insecurity annually, according to Feeding America.

Events like the one covered by the post highlight how vulnerable food systems can be to disruptions like power outages, which are expected to grow more frequent and severe as Earth's overheating intensifies.

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.

Is Walmart doing anything about this?

Walmart has sustainability commitments, including a goal to reach zero waste in its operations in the U.S. and Canada by 2025. 

The company has also partnered with organizations like Feeding America to donate unsold food, though perishable items exposed to unsafe temperatures typically can't be redistributed.

Some commenters questioned why stores like Walmart don't have backup generators on standby. Others noted that individual locations may not have the infrastructure or authority to divert food in emergencies.

"Management is also making sure you get customers out of the store so there is no theft," one commenter pointed out. 

What's being done about food waste more broadly?

Walmart isn't the only grocer grappling with this issue. In 2023, a Trader Joe's store in Baton Rouge faced a similar situation following a power outage, but they ended up giving away food so it wouldn't be wasted.

More broadly, nonprofits like ReFED and the NRDC are working with grocers to increase rescue rates, and food waste laws in several states now encourage or require businesses to divert certain edible surplus.

Everyday people can help by storing food properly, composting scraps when possible, and using tools like Too Good To Go and Olio to intercept edible food before it hits the bin.

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