Dumpster-diving videos are becoming more popular on TikTok as people begin to realize the number of unused products that are thrown away by stores.
A dumpster-diving video that is currently going viral on the platform shows the amount of food that user @dumpsterdivingfreegan found in a dumpster outside of Whole Foods.
“Dumpster diving at Whole Foods is nothing like I’ve ever seen before,” the TikToker, who boasts over 330,000 followers, starts. “Every time I come to this particular store, I find cases of organic food that is thrown out well before its ‘best by date.’”
She claims that she found “enough meat to feed an entire community” as she showcases products, ranging from meats to unopened containers of guacamole and yogurt. The creator then goes on to say that because it was cold outside, all of the food is still good to eat. She clarified in the comments section that she has been dumpster-diving for two years now and makes sure to tell people where the food came from when donating it.
@dumpsterdivingfreegan says that she has “never seen any discount stickers on any of the items that Whole Foods has thrown out.”
The video, which was uploaded two days ago, currently has over 2 million views on TikTok and close to 3 million on Twitter. Some viewers on both platforms say they are current Whole Foods employees and that they aren’t allowed to take any food home without paying.
One person quote-tweeted the video on Twitter and wrote, “I got fired from Whole Foods because I took home the bagels and muffins that they were going to throw in the trash. They also threw away approximately 8 pizzas every night and told the hot foods department they’d get fired if they ate some without paying first.”
A spokesperson for Whole Foods told the Daily Dot in a phone interview that it is not a company policy to throw away unused products. The spokesperson also sent an email saying Whole Foods donates “millions of pounds of perishable and nonperishable food to local food banks and food rescue agencies across the United States.”
“Since 2013, Whole Foods Market has donated approximately 180M pounds of food through our Grocery Rescue Program. This equates to approximately 150,000,000 meals for people in need in our local communities. In 2020 alone, Whole Foods Market donated over 27 million meals to food rescue and redistribution programs nationwide,” the email continued.
The Daily Dot has reached out to @dumpsterdivingfreegan.
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