Super Eco

Photo credit: SpecialKRB, flickr

Has common sense gone out with the trash? Tales of merchandisers dumping entire truckloads of unsold inventory into the trash seem to be filling the news like ... well, like unsold merchandise clogging up the landfills. From clothing to books, merchandisers are choosing "brand integrity" over sensibility as they offload literally tons of unsold goods into trash bins. Adding insult to injury, the retailers direct employees to rip, slash and otherwise deface the items to render them useless. What gives?

Dumpsters behind bookstores routinely fill up with unsold books that nobody wants to pay to have shipped back to the publisher. In the wake of 200 Waldenbooks bookstore closings nationwide, corporate parent Borders told employees to dispose of excess inventory in the most cost-effective method: the trash. Clothing retailer H&M and even Wal-Mart have been fingered for dumping unsold clothing, much of it carefully damaged (gloves with the fingers cut off, holes punched into shirts and coats, shoes slashed) to prevent them from being salvaged.

Meanwhile, a legion of charitable organizations—libraries, senior citizens centers, homeless shelters and more—stand literally begging for a chance to give the goods a better home.

Corporate offices have been slow to respond to public outrage over the shocking levels of waste. H&M recently apologized for dumping unsold clothes that could have gone to homeless people or charities, although no system for doing anything else seems to be in place. (The company is also struggling with new allegations that the organic cotton from India in its T-shirts may have been contaminated with GM cotton.) Borders has vowed to donate its excess inventory to charity. Meanwhile, customers of both companies are raising havoc on Facebook and organizing web sites to help redistribute the goods. Reuse and donation efforts may not be reaching all local stores, so keep an eye on dumpsters in your area if you suspect that help may be needed to get discarded inventory into the hands of interested charities.