What Actually Happens To Unsold Grocery Store Bakery Items?

Food is a valuable resource and wasting it has become a big issue for many of us, even beyond concerns for the environment. After all, putting dinner on the table isn't getting any cheaper, and lots of us are looking for ways to save money on our groceries. If you've ever wondered what happens to all the freshly baked bread, muffins, and cookies that never get sold, you're not alone. Sadly, a study from the Pacific Coast Food Waste Commitment found that bakery items account for 15.8% of unsold food in America, and the fate of these bakery department gems is a big unknown for many waste-conscious shoppers.

While you might think unsold bakery items find their way to the landfill each night, that's not always the case. Their future depends on the store's policies and local regulations. Most stores start by marking down unsold bakery items as they near their expiration date, for quick sale. If that strategy doesn't work, some companies choose to donate these confections to hungry families in need, while other retailers find ways to repurpose unpurchased leftovers. So let's delve deeper into what actually happens to unsold bakery items at a few of the country's top grocery stores.

One of the largest food retailers in North America, Albertsons is well known by loyal customers who enjoy its freshly made in-house bakery treats. The sizeable Albertsons family of grocers operates more than 2,200 stores in 34 states under 22 banners, from Safeway to Kings Food Markets. The good news is that this Idaho-based company is committed to completely eliminating food waste that ends up in landfills through its Recipe for Change program. In fact, 97% of Albertsons neighborhood locations donate food from various departments to charity on a weekly basis.

Through Albertsons partnership with Divert, Inc., a food-waste prevention company, the grocer prioritizes rehoming bakery items and other wholesome eats through donations. Under the Albertsons umbrella, Safeway stores in Northern California have increased their donations by an outstanding 20%. For those foods that are no longer edible, Divert's landfill diversion process ensures the items are put to good use by using them to produce renewable energy.

ALDI sells a variety of baked goods, and while these aren't made in-house, that doesn't stop the company from working hard to do something good with any items that don't leave the shelves. Its stores and warehouses partnered with Feeding America to redistribute unsellable bakery items that are still safe for consumption, to those in need. As part of this program, ALDI donated 5,000 boxes of shelf-stable products in 2023 alone. Feeding America is a wonderful charity that has a nationwide network of food banks and meal programs to connect communities with much-needed resources.

ALDI is fully committed to reducing the amount of good food that is thrown away at the store level. To put its commitment on paper, this grocery store joined the U.S. Food Loss & Waste 2030 Champion program along with 45 other corporations, and is public about its intent to reduce food loss in domestic operations by at least 50% within the next five years. In addition to edible donations, in 2021, ALDI converted 1.9 million pounds of food that was past its use-by date into nutrient-rich products like compost and animal feed.

Costco's in-house bakery section is a fan-favorite for so many reasons — Costco's unveiled bakery secrets run the gamut from a free cookie for the kiddos to cheap customized birthday cakes, and picking up some fresh goodies here is just so convenient. You can find some real hidden gems in this cavernous warehouse, and with the mass quantities of bakery stables Costco puts out, it's no surprise that it's going to have some unsold items at the end of the day.

Don't worry, Costco also donates unsold bakery items to Feeding America, including loads of packages of bread. The big box company has a mission to provide food to communities in need while reducing waste across its more than 800 locations. In fact, it distributed 70 million pounds of food from its shelves to food banks through Feeding America in 2022. Costco locations outside the U.S. follow suit, working with organizations like World Vision to continue the trend of feeding hungry families and individuals.

Kroger stepped up to make meaningful changes to its food recovery efforts, including unsold fresh items, like the bakery. For breads, cakes, and pastries that don't find their way to shoppers, the grocer donates eligible items to local agencies and food banks through Kroger's Zero Hunger | Zero Waste Food Rescue program. The company established this philanthropic endeavor in 2018, in response to the contradiction that Americans are going hungry while millions of tons of food ends up in landfills each year.

Donating food, like unsold bakery times, is in the second tier of the EPA's Wasted Food Scale and something that Kroger takes seriously. Its network of more than 100 Fry's Food Stores in Arizona set aside unsold bakery items and other goods for pick up by local food banks, like the Phoenix Rescue Mission. Grocery associates separate items that are past their best-before date for partners like The Mollen Foundation Campus Composting Program or, if nothing else, it may even end up as feed for livestock.

George Jenkins wasn't a fan of waste back in 1930 and the Publix Super Market founder's philosophy is still a core part of the company's mission today. Nearly 100 years later, this grocer is still demonstrating its commitment to saving unsold items with its innovative perishable recovery program. Publix announced at its 2025 Hunger Summit that the company has donated more than 1 billion pounds of food since the program's inception in 2009. This incredible feat included gifts of perishable baked goods and other items to non-profits like Feeding America's partner food banks.

Team members at Publix stores check all the products in the bakery department before closing each night so they can pull donatable items off the shelves for the company's local community partners. Although some unsold bakery items must be discarded for safety reasons, many are donated to local food banks as they need to be eaten quickly, before they reach their expiration date.

If you've ever envisioned a cart full of day-old bakery items heading for the dumpster behind your local Trader Joe's, you'll be relieved to know that nothing could be further from the truth. We love the way Trader Joe's deals with its unsold foods, including its range of unique and scrumptious bakery items. The premium grocer doesn't tout an on-site bakery like rivals, but it does offer a wide selection of yummy goodies that we don't want to see go to waste.

Trader Joe's donates 100% of unsold bakery and other products from its vast network of locations across 42 states, through its Neighborhood Shares Program. Edible products go to more than 2,000 partners across the U.S., like Oregon Food Bank and Second Helpings Atlanta. The company shared a recent impact report that indicated its stores donated over 98 million pounds of bakery items and other foods to aid hungry families in 2024 alone.

There are plenty of indulgent foods to buy from Walmart, including the items from its large in-house bakeries. Unfortunately, this comes with the potential for tons of unsold items come closing time. Remnants of bread, rolls, muffins, and cakes can add up quickly and the company has a solid plan to deal with them. The discount grocer was one of the first U.S. companies to sign onto the voluntary U.S. Food Waste Pact to reduce the amount of bakery items and other groceries that go unpurchased by 50% by 2030.

As part of this pledge, Walmart donated 778 million pounds of food globally in 2023, including baked goods. However, not all unsold bakery items went to feed those in need. Some foods considered non-edible are turned into animal feed, known as "dried bakery product" on the ingredient's label. This recipe could include a mixture of common bakery products like bread, cookies, cake, crackers, and dough. If no other options exist, Walmart does incinerate its unsold bakery items or they may even end up at local landfill sites.

In addition to Whole Foods' stellar return policy, the store does a good job reducing the amount of baked goods that end up in the trash at the end of the day with the Too Good To Go app. At more than 450 locations, customers can score a "Bakery Surprise Bag" that's filled with surplus baked goods for just $6.99 (down from a normal price of $21). As a Whole Foods representative confirmed (via Waste 360), "We continue to invest in new and innovative ways to keep unsold food out of our landfills" and we've noticed.

Whole Foods also donates leftover bakery items to communities in need by partnering with the Food Donation Connection and nearly 1,000 food rescue and redistribution organizations. The company launched its Nourishing Our Neighborhoods program in September 2020 and has never looked back. This community-based program pays for refrigerated vans that food recovery organizations can use to ensure unsold food is sent to where it's needed most across the U.S. and Canada. Many Whole Foods Market locations around the country also participate in food waste diversion activities, like composting, to help keep its unsold baked goods out of landfills.