What Does Aldi Do With Unsold Food?

Given Aldi's generous refund policy on any food item a customer is not 100% satisfied with, it's easy to wonder where all those Aldi food returns go. The short answer is that all of those items are disposed of for both safety and liability reasons, but what about the food that Aldi doesn't manage to sell in the first place? 

The chain is deeply committed to sustainable practices, and even lays out on its website how it plans to reach a goal to get to zero operational waste and cut food waste down to 50% by the year 2030. Included in that plan are policies for how to combat food waste. A

ldi has multiple policies in place that govern how to deal with different types of unsold food products and many items go to those in need rather than simply being thrown away. While food products that couldn't be sold for whatever reason but are still safe to eat are donated, other food that is no longer edible but can go somewhere other than the landfill is recycled in other ways.

For food that hasn't sold or can't be sold but is still perfectly safe and edible, Aldi is one of the grocery chains that regularly donates unsold food. The store partners with Feeding America to ensure that each Aldi location and warehouse is connected with a local foodbank that can take such food items and distribute them to those in need. The two organizations have also set up volunteer-based community events wherein boxes are packed to distribute to people and families who have been displaced by natural disasters or other catastrophic events. Through Aldi's work with Feeding America and other charitable organizations, the company claims to have donated 37 million meals worth of food in 2025 alone.

As far as food that is inedible for one reason or another and would otherwise be bound for the dumpster, Aldi is trying its best not to be one of the grocery stores struggling with food waste. The company has a organics recycling program in place for food items that aren't edible but can be recycled and turned into renewable energy or nutrient-rich soil through composting. This program has led to over 12 million pounds of food being kept out of landfills so far.