Most of us crave something sweet almost every single day, and if you like the sweet taste just like I do, chances are you’re a big fan of Dunkin’ Donuts. The American multinational coffee and doughnut company satisfies sweet cravings every day, and apparently, the trash can’s cravings, too.
Sadly, there are tons of doughnuts wasted in all Dunkin Donuts locations at the end of the day. And maybe not all of us were aware of this fact (maybe only those who have worked at a Dunkin Donuts location), but luckily, a Dunkin Donuts employee (who got fired eventually) had enough courage to expose them.
It’s simply outrageous to see piles of unsold doughnuts being thrown out. HELLO! Dunkin Donuts!!! Have you ever heard of donations? According to one Dunkin Donuts worker, the company gives them specific instructions not to give unsold and unconsumed food at the end of the day.
All those perfectly edible doughnuts go to waste…
After using his TikTok account to expose Dunkin Donuts’ “unorthodox” decision, the ex Dunkin Donuts worker received tons of comments, some of them being more than honest. One TikTok user said that Dunkin’ Donuts should offer unsold food to the homeless. Another person added that people are starving on this planet, and it is a shame to see how Dunkin Donuts tackles this.
People just went crazy (for good reasons) after seeing the Dunkin’ Donuts ex-worker video. The video went viral in a matter of days. Below you can see it!
@bryanjohnston_ every night … 312 donuts + munchkins 😢@dunkin
And wait, that’s not all! Bryan not only had the courage to expose Dunkin’ Donuts’ rules, but he even offered packages filled with doughnuts to the homeless. Now, we can say there’s a community of Dunkin Donuts workers (and ex-workers) that show people what’s behind the curtains.
What Bryan did has inspired people all over the world to make videos of themselves while throwing large amounts of doughnuts. So much so that the “story” went viral on every single social media platform, and not only. A video posted by u/Melan420 was shared in r/mildlyinfuriating community.
The amount of food that is being thrown out at Dunkin Donuts each day
byu/Melan420 inmildlyinfuriating
Reddit users across the world left all kinds of comments. Some were really angry about what happens with Dunkin’ Donuts’ unsold food, while others shared their happy experiences at other coffee shops and pastry stores they’ve worked. For instance, one Reddit user, kennytucson, said that “he worked at a local sandwich chain as a teenager, and all the rejected sandwiches were kept and delivered to a commissary the next day to be distributed to the homeless.”
He also added that “food waste is obscene, and it’s crazy what gets thrown away just because it’s returned or opened.”
We want to highlight that food waste is not only obscene but one of America’s biggest issues. Did you know that almost 1.3 billion tons of food are discarded every year? While we can’t say exactly how many tons of unsold doughnuts are wasted every year, one thing is certain: the video showing a trash can full of doughnuts sparked outrage.
In an attempt to justify themselves, Dunkin’ Donuts told the Daily Dot in a statement that its food donation program is just “an option” for owners and franchisees except in regions where food donations are regulated.
“It is left to the discretion of the individual owner/franchisee of each restaurant whether or not food is donated at the end of the day,” the statement noted.
However, their “excuse statement” didn’t go into most Americans’ hearts as one Twitter user, @jaebuteraaa responded, saying, “They didn’t think it was fair for the franchise owner to decide whether the unsold food and leftover doughnuts were donated or not.”
The saddest part? A recent survey of restaurant respondents conducted by the Food Waste Reduction Alliance revealed that just 1.4% of food waste is actually donated, and about 84.3% is discarded.
The same survey also noted that for companies with more than 10 locations, insufficient storage on the site and transportation constraints were the top barriers to minimizing food waste. Liability concern was also an issue.
Still, they must know about the Federal Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Act that basically protects all companies and organizations from donating food to nonprofit organizations. This bill was set to encourage food and grocery product donations from companies/stores that would be afraid of being sued for liability.
In other words, restaurants, grocery stores, and most companies have literally no excuse not to donate their unsold/leftover food.
So what do you think about Dunkin Donuts’ “actions?”
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Maybe lower the price of the donuts! They are getting so dang expensive and the size is almost bite size. I stopped ordering them.
You same people, that are condemning companies for disposing of unsold goods that are considered unsaleable or unsafe for use, are the same people that would be demanding they be prosecuted if someone was to get sick, injured or died from the use of this product.
If this a known result at the end of the day, a lot less should be produced later in the shift. Too bad you can’t get your one donut at midnight.
I agree with MOJO.