by Tim Talevich

Throughout a busy day at the Costco warehouse in Burnaby, British Columbia, produce manager Kyle Benn and his team are restocking the large selection of fruit and produce in the warehouse's fresh foods area. As they do, they're closely examining all the foods. The target: any item that doesn't quite meet Costco's standards, yet is still perfectly good. In a box of peaches, Benn spots some slightly bruised fruit and pulls the box.

But instead of being discarded for compost—or worse, sent to a landfill—the peaches are set aside for another destination. A truck from the Greater Vancouver Food Bank (GVFB) will soon arrive at the Costco loading dock to pick up this kind of food. And within a day or so, that food will be on the tables of some of the 10,000 people GVFB serves monthly in the Vancouver area.

It's a scene that takes place daily in the 100-plus Costco warehouses across Canada. Working with 420 local organizations, Costco is able to donate still-good fresh foods and other products to needy people, instead of discarding them in local landfills. In doing so, Costco avoids costly disposal costs, reduces its carbon footprint and helps the communities where Costco is located.

"We want to maintain our standards for our members," says Benn. "And if we can help some people while doing that, it's even better."

The partnership between GVFB and Costco in the Vancouver area serves as a perfect example of how the program works. GVFB’s refrigerated trucks go each weekday to the local Costcos for a food pickup. From there, they return to GVFB’s distribution facility in Burnaby, which has large refrigerator and freezer space to keep food cold.

GVFB staff and volunteers sort the food; it’s then ready for the 119 community agency partners the GVFB supports, explains David Long, the organization’s CEO. Those agencies range from halfway houses to women’s shelters. Families can also pick up food from four GVFB locations. The fresh food is usually distributed within 24 to 48 hours.

Last year, GVFB distributed more than 3.6 million kilograms (8 million pounds) of food to families in need, all supplied by Costco, local farms, corporations and individuals. Working with Costco has played a big role in the increase of community partner agencies it serves, says Long. “We have been able to expand our partnerships from 75 agencies four years ago to 119 today,” he says. “Through Costco, our relationship has enabled a massive growth in the number of agencies we work with. We’re able to help more people.”