What Does Domino's Do With Unsold Pizza?

When it comes to food waste, the world has a huge problem, and while we are all guilty of having a forgotten Tupperware at the back of the fridge at some point, when that problem is scaled up to corporations, it becomes a much larger issue. According to the USDA's Economic Research Service, a staggering 30%-40% of the United States' food supply is wasted and 31% of that food waste happens at retail and consumer levels.

Domino's recently sparked a conversation on social media when a now-deleted Reddit post went viral. The photo, which showed several trays of dough being discarded, prompted a discussion about the way America's best-selling pizza chain handles food waste. The employee who posted the picture also wrote in the comments that he had been told by his manager that Domino's policy prohibited food donations. However, the reality may be more nuanced.

There's no straightforward answer to what happens to Domino's unsold pizzas or other leftovers because most locations are franchise-owned. As a result, small-scale waste, such as the occasional pizza made by mistake or unused dough, are typically handled at the store level. While expired dough must be discarded, users have commented on Reddit that their stores handle leftover pizzas by sending them to local police departments, EMT centers, and fire departments, while others give them to staff members or people experiencing homelessness.

The FDA's food safety guidelines state that cooked foods need to be kept at a holding temperature of 135 degrees Fahrenheit in order to be safe for consumption. More often than not, discarding food is cheaper than repackaging it for donation, and businesses often have to balance waste-reduction efforts with compliance. There are often situations in which food must be discarded to meet food safety standards.

Domino's food waste policies are focused on waste reduction and following a circular economy model. If there is one thing Domino's has always been known for, it is its innovative approach — even being credited with inventing the pizza box as we know it today. Being a global chain with a presence in more than 90 international markets means there are different guidelines that apply according to local regulations. For example, in the United States, Domino's has partnered with Vanguard Renewables to divert inedible food waste and use it to generate biogas, whereas in the United Kingdom, Domino's works closely with FareShare, a food redistribution charity that delivers surplus food to charities and community groups across the country.

And the company is not alone when it comes to tackling this problem. Across America, several chain restaurants are working hard to mitigate food waste by using methods such as tracking software to avoid over-production, food recycling, and working with organizations to facilitate donations within local communities.