When passers-by saw the overflowing bins filled with unsold outside a Krispy Kreme store in Bristol, they were confused at first.
“I was going into a shop nearby for a coffee and saw it out of the corner of my eye around the back of Krispy Kreme,” said Chris Cleeves. “It took me a second to realize what it was. I was disgusted.”
He added: “I totally understand that as part of what they offer, Krispy Kreme have the theatre side to their retail—customers like to see the doughnuts being made in the store.
READ: It is now illegal for supermarkets in France to waste food!
“But if they are creating that much waste, surely they should be thinking about changing the way they do things.”
The popular donut chain only sells donuts that are made on the day, and if they are not sold within 24 house are thrown away.
The disturbing photos have gained attention, and backlash, from the public. Because of this Krispy Kreme have issues a statement.
“We’re proud that our doughnuts are made fresh daily,” they said. “We use demand-planning models to give us the best possible forecasts of how many doughnuts we need which helps us to keep our waste to a minimum.
“All the unsold doughnuts from the nine Krispy Kreme stores and 65 cabinets in the region are returned to the Bristol Hotlight store on a daily basis, [and] from here they are then taken for recycling along with excess dough from the factory and doughnuts that do not meet our strict quality levels.”
READ: Leftover solutions: 10-minute super easy breakfast dishes
Last week, however, the chain changed their recycling processes so that their waste is sent directly to a unit housed by the Bristol Port Company at the Portbury Docks for recycling.
“Initially, due to the security protocols at the docks, we were unable to gain access this weekend,” they said. “As a result the waste in the photograph is from Friday, Saturday and Sunday.”
They also said that the issue has since been resolved, but people could not help but wonder how many starving children that many perfectly good donuts could have feed in those three days alone.
If you have any insights, questions or comments regarding the topic, please share them in our Comment box below. Like us on Facebook and follow us on Google+ to stay up-to-date on the latest from theAsianparent.com Philippines!