Sprout plan – how to guide

Bakery

Dairy

Deli

Meat & Seafood

Produce

Grocery

All unsold product is donated to a local charity hub who then sorts the food into what’s edible for people, what’s edible for animal consumption and the rest is composted. This program is recovering over 90% of what was previously wasted food and diverting it to feed people and animals.

Keeping food products separated by department allows the weights to be more easily measured to determine the amount of waste being generated. Please place unsold product in stackable boxes such as banana boxes.

Only food that is UNSAFE for human AND animal consumption should be disposed of in the same way that you usually do.

Only food that is UNSAFE for human AND animal consumption should be marked with a red sticker on the tote. This communicates to the food bank that the products are UNSAFE and should be disposed. Please always place the stickers on the TOP of the tote in a highly visible location.

Please line totes with plastic bags if the products are very wet or messy. For example, veggie trim from the Produce department, leaking milk jugs from the Dairy department, or leaking blood from the Meat/Seafood department.

Please use clear plastic bags. We recommend the following item: Ralston® Regular Garbage Bags, Translucent, 35X50 – 29650. You may also use any kind of clear bags you have on hand that fits the totes. Clear garbage bags or bulk bin liners also work well.

Because we cannot be certain what happens to food once it has left the store, customer returns are considered to be inedible and should be disposed of as usual.

No, please continue to dispose of these items as usual.

Please store cakes and pastries containing dairy, or other spoilable substances, in a temperature controlled location until the charity pickup time.

Any items that are spoiled, contaminated, have been out of temperature control (and it’s required it to maintain food safety), or have been returned by a customer are considered to be UNSAFE to eat and should be disposed of as usual.

Yes! The charity will check the Best Before dates when sorting the products and determine whether they can be safely distributed.

Normally the glass milk bottles should be returned to the producer for deposit refunds. Check with your department manager about whether these should be donated or not.

Any items that are spoiled, contaminated, have been out of temperature control, or have been returned by a customer are considered to be UNSAFE to eat and should be disposed of as usual.

No, you can send the unsaleable produce to the food bank in the boxes it’s already packed in, provided they are stackable on a pallet. For example, boxes of bananas, or flats of strawberry clamshells.

Please place products in glass jars separately from unpackaged produce. If the glass breaks, it could injure the volunteer sorting the product. It can also contaminate the entire tote, meaning all the produce will need to be disposed.

Yes, floral trim should go in a plastic-bag lined tote and will be sent to farm or composted as appropriate.

Yes, but please package the plants in cardboard boxes or plastic-lined totes to avoid cross-contamination from the soil. The food bank will distribute to their clients.

If the answer to the following questions is YES then the item is UNSAFE to eat and should go into a tote marked with a red sticker:

• Is the meat or seafood past the Best Before date?
• Does the item look or smell spoiled?
• Is the packaging compromised (e.g., holes in packaging)?
• Was the item out of temperature control?
• Is this a customer-returned item?

Always place raw meat and seafood items in plastic-lined boxes. Keep raw meat and seafood separated from prepared and vacuum-packed meats to avoid cross contamination. Don’t mix raw seafood with raw poultry, beef or pork to avoid cross contamination.

Yes, they can be donated to charity as long as they are packaged, labelled with the product name and the Best Before date, placed in totes, and kept under temperature control until pickup.

Yes, they can be donated to charity as long as they are packaged, labelled with the product name and the Best Before date, placed in totes, and kept under temperature control until pickup.

Yes, they can be donated to charity if frozen. Please freeze in sealable bags (Ziploc or similar) and label with the soup type and the Best Before date. Place frozen soup bags in boxes and keep frozen until pickup.

Yes, they can be donated to charity as long as they are packaged, labelled with the product name and the Best Before date, cooled to below 4C in accordance with Food Safe guidelines, placed in boxes, and kept under temperature control until pickup.

Any items that are spoiled, contaminated, have been out of temperature control, or have been returned by a customer are considered to be UNSAFE to eat and should be disposed of as usual.

Charities need to know the contents of bags of bulk items in order to distribute them to their recipients due to allergen risks.

Do not send any food that has been infested with insects. Talk to you department manager or store manager about how to handle disposal of infested product.

Any items that are spoiled, contaminated, or have been returned by a customer are considered to be UNSAFE to eat and should be disposed of as usual.

Yes, household items such as toilet paper, cleaning supplies and seasonal decorations can be donated. Use a plastic-lined tote if the non-food items might spill and contaminate it so it’s no longer food safe (e.g. laundry detergent or bleach).

Grocery and frozen items are inedible if the packaging is ripped or damaged in a way that the food may have been contaminated. Frozen items that haven’t maintained temperature control are always inedible. Customer returns are always considered to be UNSAFE and should be disposed of as usual.