A Dunkin' Donuts worker has shown how much waste is thrown away by her store at the end of each day.
Uploaded on January 24, TikTok user Kathleen Dias, recorded her end of shift routine to an audience of over one million viewers. The video shows Dias throwing away 30 trays of donuts and donut holes into a bin.
After almost four months, the footage has resurfaced on Reddit. User Melan420 reposted the TikTok into the popular "Mildly Infuriating" Subreddit, receiving over 66,000 votes and 6,000 comments in the eleven hours since it was posted.
In following videos and comments, Dias explained that throwing away the food at the end of each day is the company's rules. She also clarified that if she distributed it and someone got sick from it, she "could be fired or sued."
"I assume it's a health code thing. My local grocery store will donate old baked goods but they have to be picked up ON the 'sell by' date, because if it's after, even given away, they can be sued when someone gets sued," wrote one Reddit user.
According to the U.S Department of Agriculture, food waste in the United States is estimated to be between 30-40 percent of the food supply. While the USDA's Economic Research Service also estimates a 31 percent food loss at retail and consumer levels.
"This has always been the case. In high school, our friends would throw everything away in white trash bags, set it by the dumpster, and we'd come and get them," recalled one Reddit user.
Now however, apps like Too Good To Go aim to tackle this by allowing restaurants and fast food places to offer food which would be thrown out at reduced prices.
A ChefHero research study found that 72 percent of U.S. diners care about a restaurant's handling of food waste, which makes the majority of reactions on Reddit unsurprising.
"The amount of food that is being thrown out everywhere each day is unfathomable," wrote one Reddit user.
"Cops and Homer viewing this video with tears in their eyes," joked another.
Dias' video isn't the first time behind-the-scenes looks at Dunkin' Donuts have gone viral either. In April, a TikTok user shared the company's alleged "secrets" before quitting her job at the coffee and donut franchise, including ingredients used in drinks and pre-packaged avocado toast.
Newsweek has contacted Kathleen Dias for a comment.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
