What Does Costco Do With Unsold Produce?

Food waste is a real issue, with about 30% going directly from the grocery store to the trash every year. That's the equivalent of about 16 billion pounds, and that's not even counting what gets thrown away after you take it home. But when you factor in the vast amount of other important resources that farming requires — including land, water, and soil — and the emissions related to transporting said food from the farms to the stores you buy it from (a number that's been steadily increasing over the last 50 years), you begin to realize all of the other things going down the garbage chute with it. Surely, someone out there could find a way to put some of that food to use? Costco did.

Everybody knows Costco is the place to go when you want to buy large quantities of stuff at the best price, fruits and vegetables included. Some of the fresh produce must-buys include 10 pound bags of Russet potatoes, six pound bags of carrots, two pound bags of Brussels sprouts, giant winter squash, and big bags of citrus fruits, among others. Noticeably, all things that keep and store well. Other things, such as leafy greens, vine ripe tomatoes, onions, and bananas, don't — and when unsold fruits and vegetables like these go bad at Costco, they do so in mountainous quantities. So the wholesaler found a solution. Rather than throwing it all away, they send it out to farms for all of the animals to enjoy.

People are picky about the produce they eat. Not only does it have to taste great, but it has to look great too. Anything with obvious abnormalities, bruising, or excessive browning will more than likely be skipped over and left to rot, only exacerbating the food waste issue. But, they won't be left for too long at Costco. Before things get too icky, Costco donates all of the pretty produce to organizations like Feeding America, or local food banks and shelters, along with any baked or canned goods that are nearing their best-by dates. Then, the ugly fruits and veggies that aren't necessarily good enough to be donated (maybe it's an overly ripe banana or a strawberry that's decided to grow in multiple directions, although most look perfectly fine) go off to farms for livestock to enjoy.

The cows, chickens, goats, and pigs in farms across America happily partake in all of the fresh produce we take for granted. Just check out this TikTok from mama2harper of some cows chowing down on some of Costco's unsold fruits and vegetables, in it you'll spot bunches of frozen bananas, heads of romaine lettuce, and what appear to be Navel oranges and pink radishes. The animals on one Washington farm go through 400 pounds of Costco produce every week, making them just one part of Costco's sustainability commitment — and a big part at that.