Greggs employee was fired for filming food waste mountains every day.
Nicole Iwalowo was fired at Romford branch, east London after she made her TikTok video.
After a month working at the facility, 21-year old Lisa said that she was a bit ashamed and guilty.
Her video shows bagging up leftover produce including freshly made sandwiches doughnuts and yum yums.
Six bin bags containing food were loaded onto a metal box during the November 27th clip.
After her TikTok footage became viral, Nicole Iwalowo, a branch manager in Romford was fired.
According to the 21-year-old, she felt guilty and awful after seeing all that was taken away from her work place in a month.
Ms Iwalowo said: ‘There are people starving around the world and all of this is going to waste.
We waste food every day like this [while working at Greggs]. There are a few good to go bags that we offer, but they’re only two. Everything else gets thrown out.
“That day, I simply felt the need to document it as I felt terrible about throwing away food.
“The sandwiches are made daily with fresh ingredients, and we throw away the leftovers every day.” [lots and lots of]sandwich – there were five bags with baguettes, pasta, and other goodies.
“With the Baker, on a normal day, we throw away [lots more]Items are also available every day.
The sandwiches didn’t have to expire, they were simply too numerous – the company’s policy is that every sandwich should be made from scratch each day.
They can give the money to charity or hand it out to those in need. The store is near a homeless shelter and there are many people living in this area.
“It’s just that I feel awful, it’s not what I wanted to do.
Ms. Iwalowo stated that there are many people who starve around the globe and that all this money is being wasted.
This video is about bagging leftovers, including fresh sandwiches and doughnuts.
Ms Iwalowo added that she was sent home from work the next day and fired a few weeks later.
But her post triggered thousands of angry comments and complaints to the bakery giant on social media.
According to the bakery chain, its policy states that it “hates waste” and that it “does not sell unsold food.”
The food is delivered through partnership arrangements with charities, and it can be purchased at a discounted price through outlets and through the app ‘Too Good To Go.
The statement however admits that it does not have these partnerships at every store.
The agreement also says that for those stores in which none of these partnerships are in place, any unsold food can be’returned or transformed into renewable energie’.
Popular chain says that all unsold food has been redirected from the landfill at one hundred percent.
The clip was shared November 27, and featured six bags of food packed on metal boxes.
But in the 20 to 24 hours a week Ms Iwalowo worked at the store for a month, she claimed she saw bags of freshly made, unsold food going to waste daily.
She replied, “I asked them about this and they all had the same answer. They were aware of our good-to-go bags but it’s just two bags.
“Maybe it’s because they don’t close the shift, they don’t realize how many food items are being wasted. Or maybe they just don’t want to talk about it.
“They claimed they donated some but I have never seen one come into the store.
The company policy states that employees are forbidden from bringing any leftover food home.
“Apparently people used to allow you to take it home, but they were now selling it. So you either have to buy it yourself or you throw it out.
Ms. Iwalowo claimed that during her 20-24 hour work week, bags of unsellable food went to waste each day.
Ms Iwalowo’s video went viral and has been seen nearly 450,000 times and liked by 6,000 accounts.
According to her, her manager placed her on probation immediately and she was terminated a month later via zoom meeting right before Christmas.
“Then, the next day, they said I could not work.”
“They helped me dress for my shift. Everyone was looking at me. Finally, the manager ordered me into the meeting and told me I couldn’t go to work until further notice.
“On my video, I wrote “watch me get fired” and they replied that it was because you were being too petty.
“I found it unfair. I could’ve been given another chance, and they could’ve told me to delete that video.
Greggs spokesperson said that they have several initiatives to reduce food waste in their shops, including redistribution to charities and community groups of unsold food.
“We continue to work to increase the number of food that is not sold and give away food to people in greatest need. We also remain determined to end food waste.”