A content creator known for dumpster diving left viewers heartbroken and angry after he discovered holiday-themed dog beds thrown out the day after Christmas.
Jonathan, who wished to keep his last name private, visited a “well-known local pet store” on December 26. He did not share the business with Newsweek, wanting to keep them private as a courtesy to them. Plus, he worried any issues that would arise would lead to more dumpsters being locked, which would mean fewer items saved.
In his TikTok video posted to the account @dumpsterdiveking, Jonathan filmed himself going through the pet store dumpster. He started pulling out dog bed after dog bed. They all seemed to be holiday-themed. Some included red and green lettering and others were black and red with reindeer heads printed on them.
“I have been doing this for a long time so not much shocks me anymore,” he told Newsweek via email. “The only reason it was a little shocking is because it was honestly the day after Christmas. Stores usually at least clearance stuff first.”
Jonathan grabbed the salvageable beds and shook them off before loading them into his car. He estimates there were about 10 to 15 beds in total. He donated the beds to Big Wave Dog Rescue in Massachusetts.
“Along with [the dog beds] I gave them almost 100 pet coats brand new with tags from a dumpster and over 250 dog and cat toys also rescued from a dumpster,” he said.
@dumpsterdiveking/TikTok
Seeing these items thrown out immediately angered TikTok viewers. As of Wednesday, the video amassed nearly 2 million views.
“Who do they think is buying holiday specific dog beds? This is overconsumption at its worst. Thank you for saving them!” said one viewer.
Another added: “Pisses me off the store wouldn’t just coordinate a donation/drop off. But thank YOU for going the extra mile. Pups will sleep comfy tonight!”
A third wrote: “That is absurd. What a waste. So glad he got them.”
But as frustrating as it is to some, Jonathan understands why stores tend to waste.
“I have been doing this for so many years I do know all the reasons why a lot of this stuff gets discarded,” he said. “Lack of storage, cheaper to chuck it in the trash instead of sending it back to a warehouse. The stores can’t give stuff away especially to employees because then no one in the world would ever buy anything.”
He added: “They only have so much space on shelves to clearance certain items whatever doesn’t fit gets tossed. It’s as simple as that really.”
Seeing these holiday items tossed also shocked Jim Lamancusa, executive director of the Pet Sustainability Coalition, a nonprofit working to decrease waste from the pet industry through education and offering sustainable solutions.
He said in a statement provided to Newsweek: “It’s disheartening to see perfectly good pet products discarded simply because they’re holiday-themed. Fortunately, based on our experience with over 200 member companies, this isn’t typical behavior. While businesses need to remain profitable, it’s far more common to see retailers offering steep discounts on seasonal items after the holidays rather than disposing of them. With retail margins typically ranging from 30% to 50%, stores can reduce prices significantly and still cover their costs — breaking even rather than wasting valuable products.”
Newsweek could not reach this specific local pet store for comment.
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