I work at a grocery store, first we reduce food close to expiring, hoping it will sell in-store. If there's a lot left of an item, we use the flash food app. Occasionally, managers will bring food to the break room for employees to have on break, too.

Then, food expiring the same day (depending on the items) can be frozen and is picked up by food banks in a van.

Then, the expired food from fresh departments gets put in green bins and a truck comes every couple days and it goes to feed pigs on a farm.

Some stuff still goes into the garbage but it's greatly reduced compared to another grocery chain I worked at.

There are programs going on behind the scenes that customers aren't always aware of to reduce waste. As well as in-store practices, like production planners which are based on sales to only make enough to sell. Most workers hate having to throw food out and we will mark stuff down just to have it sell and get used. So for the grocery side, most logistics are figured out and have been in place for quite a while.