The Supermarket Recovery Program (SRP) is the first initiative of its kind in Canada. In collaboration with food retailers, SRP provides a unique and sustainable solution to both food waste and food insecurity.
In practical terms, the program involves recovering unsold, but still edible foodstuffs from supermarkets, and feeding people in need. SRP is a particularly important source of meat, fruit and vegetables for our network. All METRO, Loblaws and Sobeys supermarket chains participate in the program.
How does it work?
- Grocery store staff identify products nearing the end of their shelf life, but are still edible, remove them from the shelves, and put them into specially marked bins, which are placed in cold storage. In many cases, the products are frozen immediately to extend shelf life;
- Several times a week, the partner community organization picks up the bins, always ensuring that the cold chain and all other program standards are respected;
- The food is then sorted, cooked, and distributed to people in need.
Following a pilot project with Moisson Montréal, we have been coordinating the province-wide rollout of the SRP with the essential collaboration of our Moisson and associate members since 2017. The provincial rollout of the SRP was made possible by a major fundraising campaign initiated in 2018.
- 678 participating grocery stores across Quebec
- 10 million kilos recovered during 2024-2025
- 16% increase in supply over previous year
The SRP is very important for food assistance organizations, as it greatly improves the quantity and variety of foodstuffs that can be offered to their clients. Almost all food categories are covered by the program.
The benefits are manifold and impact many spheres:
Social
- Improved access to healthy, varied foods by offering more complete food baskets and sources of protein, thereby reducing the risk of disease.
Environmental
- Reduced landfill waste for supermarkets and municipalities;
- Reduced greenhouse gases and CO2 emissions for the province as a whole.
Economic
- A win-win solution that eliminates supermarket waste by feeding those in need, while at the same time reducing waste management costs;
- A solution for increasing the value of foodstuffs recovered by member organizations, due in part to the high cost of animal protein products (a category that was poorly recovered before the implementation of SRP).
Already participating in the program? Click HERE for helpful support information. (Available in French only). If you have any questions, please contact Sarah Tremblay, Director of Operations: sarahtremblay@banquesalimentaires.org
Training video for grocery store personnel (French with English subtitles):