A California Costco customer notices a trash bin with separate openings for food waste, landfill, and recycling. However, they’re shocked at what they see when they lift the lid.
In a video with over 637,000 views, TikToker Rebecca Ellis (@rebecca.ellis805) stands in an aisle in the members-only warehouse.
“Do you want to see a secret?” Ellis asks.
The TikToker turns the camera around to show the trash can, with three openings for sorting trash. Then, they lift the lid, showing that there’s only one trash bag inside the bin.
“How about that?” Ellis says sarcastically.
Does Costco pretend to separate its trash?
Costco members in the comments call the unsorted trash “unfair” and lament that their efforts to reduce landfill-bound trash go to waste—literally.
“This is really unfair. The amount of time I spend standing at those trash cans deciding what goes where is downright embarrassing,” one member writes.
“We’ve been bamboozled,” another says.
A third commenter jokes, “Adulthood is what continuously traumatizes me…,” after Ellis’s reveal.
Others point out that, even when sorted, recyclables often end up in landfills.
“Of course it’s one bin. It’s America. Recycling is a scam,” one says.
“All recycling is a scam. Goes to the same landfills. Unless there is a buyer for the items, there is no recycling,” another remarks.
According to Columbia University, recyclables may still be sent to the landfill if they are contaminated with non-recyclables or if there are no overseas buyers for them. Even more shockingly, the Guardian reports that up to 70 percent of recyclables sent overseas will be mismanaged and ultimately discarded.
Despite the unsorted trash bag Ellis spots, several Costco workers in the comments insist that the bin is set up improperly.
“Costco employee here. This bin is not set up properly. They really are supposed to be separated,” one writes.
Another shares, “At my location, it’s separate bins. The environmental department of the city does an audit of their bins every now and then.”
Do other businesses have similar practices?
In the comments, shoppers say a lack of transparency around recycling practices is just one way businesses make customers think they’re contributing to noble causes.
“Ppl are so easily fooled these days … they don’t care about you or anything,” a commenter remarks.
“Rounding up is a scam too,” another writes, pointing to corporations that collect donations at check-out for various charities.
According to Vox, many customers suspect that the round-ups are used as a tax write-off for companies and don’t actually benefit the charity as much as advertised. However, this has been largely debunked, as the tax benefit can be claimed by the customer come tax season.
@rebecca.ellis805 Costco’s dirty little secret #fyp #costco ♬ original sound – Rebecca Ellis
The Mary Sue reached out to Ellis via email and to Costco via contact form for further comment.
Have a tip we should know? [email protected]
