What Does Trader Joe's Do With Its Unsold Food?

Shoppers who love Trader Joe's typically do so with gusto, enthusiastically embracing all the goodness that comes with new products or tried-and-true favorites. But what if that goodness extended beyond what you buy on the shelves? Actually, it does, in ways you may not have considered. 

The most obvious factors earning TJs devotion range from cleaner-than-average ingredients, creative meal compilations, and easy-breezy store ambiance. But behind the scenes, far from the hustle and bustle of everyday shopping, Trader Joe's is quietly dealing with its inventory of unsold food. I personally recall, in my early twenties, the day I discovered the restaurant from which I earned minimum wage and late-night tips was unceremoniously dumping all the unsold food, even whole pies and fresh-baked loaves of bread. Why? I was told it was a liability. Well, apparently, Trader Joe's didn't get that memo — or at least has found a way around that conundrum.

Rather than discard food that goes unsold, the company facilitates a robust Neighborhood Shares Program for donating all those edibles to real, live people experiencing food deficiency. It works via a web of partnerships across the country, as revealed on the Trader Joe's website: "Through our Neighborhood Shares Program, we are able to provide nourishment to our neighbors, every day, in every store, by proudly donating 100% of products that go unsold but remain fit to be enjoyed to local non-profit organizations." As you can imagine, with over 600 stores, that can mean mountains of food making its way to hungry mouths. 

There are at least 25 Trader Joe's facts that super fans should know, but its unused food approach is one of the best. Those food-fueled "mountains" collectively accumulating in 43 U.S. states and territories resulted in 98 million pounds of donated food in 2024 alone. The food snakes its way through a tight network of food banks and community agencies, working behind the scenes every day of the week, all year long. Known as "food recovery partners," the goal is to alleviate hunger within their own communities. 

Those partners number over 2,000 across the country, including both large and small non-profits, some operating for decades and serving large numbers of families and individuals experiencing food insecurity. For example, one organization working with Trader Joe's in its Neighborhood Shares Program is City Harvest, the largest food-rescue operation in New York City, which has been operating for at least 40 years. They deliver millions of pounds of food every year to soup pantries and soup kitchens across all boroughs of the city. They also contribute to food education and disaster response. 

Other local partners in the venture span the U.S., including the Oregon Food Bank, Second Serving Houston, Feeding San Diego, the Food Bank of Northern Nevada, Second Helpings Atlanta, and many more. Some incorporate Trader Joe's donations with other innovative approaches to alleviating community hunger, such as the Inter-faith Food Shuttle in North Carolina, which elevates agricultural knowledge with learning gardens and a food shuttle farm.