This seems to be pretty much standard practice for a lot of supermarkets and box stores that sell orchids in the US. The buying power of these type of stores lets them dictate terms so that the supplier reimburses them for stock that doesn't sell. As such, there's more financial incentive to bin the old stock than to cut the price.

I don't actually see this as the abomination that some other people think it is. It's just the reality of commercial production of a perishable commodity.

Most of these stores get a full refund from the orchid supplier for plants which don't sell.

corymbosa, I've seen places do that before, but usually the employees wouldn't mind looking the other way while I went dumpster diving, y'know? And other suppliers will take their plants back to use for whatever, whether they get them blooming again and send them back out or just compost them.

I don't have an issue so much with even the fact that the plant itself gets destroyed I guess than with the fact that it isn't put to any use. It just goes into the bin. (I think restaurants should be composting their leftovers, too, but know that it's more work than they want to do. I waitressed for many years and think it's possible.)

Our "local" Big Box supplier does not take any orchids back, it is not good business to do it.

Our orchid society went into an arrangement for two or three years to take the orchids from one store but the deal was that we had to take all of them and come and get them right away. We were always looking for storage/care space and few of our members wanted them after awhile. They were a drag on the opportunity table.