Any business that sells food will have some that nears its expiration date before it can be sold. Responsible businesses have a plan for this food, whether that's discounts, donations, recycling, or simply sending it home with employees. But some wasteful businesses simply throw it out.

An employee of Morrisons, a supermarket chain in the UK, was frustrated to find their location had become one of the latter.

What's happening?

The employee posted their complaint on the r/Morrisons subreddit. 

"Have any other stores told their staff they can no longer take food that has been wasted for free?" they asked. "We've just been told to stop taking waste, and it's a dismissal if we take anything from the waste going forward."

What was worse than the original poster's description were the responses from commenters, who were surprised that the original poster had ever been allowed to take excess food at all.

"I've never heard of that being a thing," said one user. "Everywhere I've worked, food waste is still considered stock and eating from it is instant dismissal. … For example, I worked at somewhere that did Pick n Mix before here and a 30 year vet of the company got sacked because she took a single sweet that was going to be tossed."

"Always been like that at my store; the company treats it as theft," said another user.

But a third commenter replied with a different perspective: "There was a brief issued about 3 years ago where staff could take 1 or 2 items that was on that days date that was yellow stickered but hadn't sold by close of business. That's probably what they're referring to."

Why is Morrisons' food waste policy important?

When stores throw out unsold products, that cost is factored into the price of the items they sell, increasing your grocery bill. If the company does what it can to salvage and sell food close to expiring — for example, using an app like Too Good To Go — it can recoup some costs and lessen the loss.

Furthermore, when food goes to waste, the energy and resources used to produce it are lost. Our food production system has to work that much harder to feed everyone, and costs go up for everyone in addition to the environmental damage. Giving unsold (but unspoiled and safe) food to low-paid workers or groups in even greater need can help relieve the burden while reducing the overall demand to produce more food.

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Is Morrisons doing anything about this?

Morrisons does take steps to reduce its food waste. It offers food close to expiration at a discount, sells misshapen produce that might otherwise be discarded, and claims to have donated 600 tons of food in 2023-2024.

As this employee's experience shows, though, there is ongoing room for improvement.

What can I do about food waste?

Besides taking advantage of programs to buy expiring food (and getting hefty discounts), you can reduce waste in your own kitchen. Plan your shopping trips to buy only what you'll use, and learn to repurpose leftovers. If any food goes bad, compost it.

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