On September 15th， a widely circulated report emerged from a viral video on a short video platform. The footage captured a popular bakery in Shanghai’s MixC， where staff members were observed discarding unsold bread into garbage bags at the end of the business day. This act of disposal has sparked considerable public concern， with many netizens expressing their distress and calling the scene “heartbreaking.”
In response to these concerns， a representative from the implicated store stated that this practice is in accordance with company policy， which mandates the destruction of any unsold bread after closing hours. This rigid adherence to policy， despite the evident waste， has also drawn criticism.
Industry experts are suggesting that businesses should first focus on reducing food surplus at the source. This could involve strengthening market research capabilities by leveraging big data， such as customer traffic and purchase history， to more accurately forecast demand and subsequently adjust production volumes. Furthermore， investment in research and development for advanced preservation technologies could help extend the shelf life of short-shelf-life food items like bread.
On the other hand， it is also crucial for these establishments to explore innovative ways to utilize surplus food. This could include discovering new sales channels or alternative processing methods to provide more reliable solutions for recycling leftover products. For instance， effectively utilizing surplus bread generated during distribution to achieve a tiered utilization of food could significantly reduce food waste. While the ideal scenario for any food product is to fulfill its purpose by being consumed， these strategies aim to maximize resource utilization and minimize what ends up as waste.
