I think alot of stores damage throwaway items on purpose to keep the
scumbags from getting it and trying to return for cash....I got a buddy that
works at a local Home Depot and thats what they do.....really ****es me off
some of the stuff I hear about.

No, it's part of the screwed up tax code. If they discard it they can
write it off as damaged goods. If they give it away, or don't insure
that it get's disposed of they have to maintain it as inventory and it
get's written off differently in a less tax advantageous manner.

My wife used to work at one of the retail chains and they frequently
had items they had to dumpster because of a scratch of some other
insignificant cosmetic flaw. She said a lot of it she would have
gladly taken home, but they wouldn't let her. They even went to the
measure of throwing things into the compacter to make sure that
employees(and others) did not go dumpster diving.

I am sure the "returns" issue is also part of the problem.