21,541,020 LBS
of first-quality Costco returns diverted from landfills in 2023 alone
Total usable Costco items donated since 2014:
480,000 PALLETS
Why donate your product?
Protect your brand
Our best-in-class logistics infrastructure provides brand protection and security, maintaining a 99.5% accuracy rate while processing over 111,000 pallets of product— from 476 corporate donors— valued at more than $234 million in 2023 alone. Our team of experts specializes in making the donation process as smooth as possible — which is why most product donors use our business solutions year after year.
Reduce your environmental impact
Donating product extends its lifecycle and keeps it out of landfills. Since 2014, Costco suppliers and World Vision have partnered to keep over 480,000 pallets of product out of landfills.
- Product is always distributed in individual and family quantities.
- Donated product is distributed to the final beneficiary in individual and family quantities.
Save money
Donating your product saves you money on shipping, warehousing and disposal. World Vision pays for donated product to be shipped from Costco Return Depots to our distribution centers.
Make an impact
Partnering with World Vision extends the lifecycle of excess inventory and returned goods, transforming them into life-changing resources for vulnerable communities. Product donations are essential to our work — from rebuilding lives and homes after natural disasters, to tackling the global water crisis, to equipping local healthcare workers and helping families lift themselves out of poverty.
Items are donated to World Vision in two ways
Member Returns
- Member returns to Costco Warehouses are shipped to Costco Central Return Depots
- Items are separated and pallets built based upon supplier-determined disposition, overall condition, and usability
Buyer Pulls
- Suppliers have the option of donating product pulled from Costco inventory instead of destroying or returning to the supplier
- Product is donated to World Vision in full pallet quantities
How the program works
Items designated for donation
- Items are palletized and loaded into World Vision trailers positioned at each Return Depot
- When a donation trailer is full, Costco provides a manifest to World Vision and the trailer is picked up and delivered to a World Vision distribution location
- World Vision breaks down the Costco pallets, inspects items for quality and usability, then sorts items into product pallets and enters into inventory
Global distribution for the most vulnerable
- Product is distributed in the most vulnerable and marginalized communities globally and in the United States. These resources are used to empower people who are working to build better lives for themselves.
- Donated product is distributed to the final beneficiary in individual and family quantities.
Mitigating your risk
Indemnity
World Vision ensures that all donations are handled with the utmost care and responsibility. We provide indemnity to our donors, safeguarding them from any potential legal liabilities that could arise from the donation process. This means you can donate with confidence, knowing that your company is protected.
“Do not sell” policy
World Vision has a strict “Do not sell” policy. All donated products are distributed directly to people in need and are prohibited from being resold, traded or bartered. This protects your brand integrity and ensures that your donations are used for their intended purpose — to help those in need.
Market protection
World Vision works in disaster zones and communities where beneficiaries are non-market participants due to low income levels and lack of access to resources. Donated product is distributed to the final beneficiary in individual and family quantities.
Chain of custody
World Vision maintains a transparent and secure chain of custody for all donated products. From the moment we receive your donation to its distribution, every step is documented and monitored. This ensures that your products reach intended destinations and beneficiaries without any risk of diversion or misuse.
Recall-ability
In the event of a product recall, World Vision has procedures in place to efficiently and effectively remove the affected products from distribution. We work closely with our corporate donors and distribution network to ensure that recalls are handled promptly and in compliance with all regulatory requirements.
Next steps
Contact your Costco buyer
Your Costco buyer will work with Costco Central Returns and World Vision to vet product eligibility and change the product disposition to “donate.”
For donation opportunities outside of Costco, please ask to be connected to the World Vision representative.
FAQs
World Vision accepts a wide range of products including:
- Appliances, Large & Small
- Baby diapers & supplies
- Bicycles
- Building supplies
- Cleaning supplies
- Clothing & Shoes
- Food – Non-Perishable
- Household furniture, furnishings and décor
- Health & Personal Care
- Holiday & Seasonal
- Home Improvement
- Luggage & Handbags
- Office Supplies
- Over-the-counter medications
- Paper Products
- Patio, Lawn & Garden
- Recreation, Sports & Fitness
- School/Education supplies
- Tools – Hand and Power
- Toys
Talk to your buyer directly about what products you would like to donate.
World Vision cannot accept the following products:
- Alcohol, tobacco, firearms
- Video games with “Mature” rating, other media with “R” ratings
- Clothing with logos/graphics of a sexual or violent nature
- Perishable foods, including bakery goods
- Products recalled due to safety
- Non-working electronics or appliances
- High-end jewelry/watches
- Prescription medications (over-the-counter medications are acceptable if they aren’t open)
- Opened or leaking hazmat products (e.g., bleaches, ammonias, or other corrosives)
- Opened food products
No, neither Supplier nor Costco are responsible for providing replacement parts.
Yes, however the vast majority (90%) of Costco product donations are used domestically due to product suitability, demand, and logistical ease. Requesting international placement requires a discussion with your Costco buyer, who can then facilitate a discussion with World Vision.
Highest demand products for international donation include:
- Bags, totes, luggage
- Bath Towels and Washcloths
- Bed linens and Pillows
- Bicycles
- Clothing and Shoes, with the following restrictions. No:
- Camouflage
- Distressed clothing
- Sizes over XL
- Women’s shoes over 10
- Men’s shoes over 10.5
- Medical supplies, consumable and durable (restrictions may apply)
- Cookware, dishes, and utensils
- Dolls and plush toys
- Furniture (most needed: folding chairs and tables)
- Hygiene supplies, specifically:
- Bar soap (packaged)
- Toothbrushes
- Hairbrushes
- Shaving razors (manual)
- Feminine hygiene pads
- School Supplies
- Wall and floor tile
- Wheelchairs
Yes, there are some restrictions, but they vary by context. World Vision accepts a wide range of products for international donation, taking into consideration specific guidelines to ensure the safety and effectiveness of these contributions as well as country and cultural appropriateness.
In the U.S., donated products are distributed through World Vision’s partner network to reach the most vulnerable communities, including people recovering from disasters. Internationally, product is distributed in our area programs and used as part of our long-term holistic approach to help children and families lift themselves out of poverty.
World Vision has programs in nearly 100 countries, including the United States. While most product donated through Costco is used to alleviate poverty in the United, it has also been sent to more than 40 developing countries.
Donating excess product means you can reduce shipping, warehousing and disposal costs, while enhancing your company’s sustainability profile by keeping your product out of landfills.
For any specific questions regarding the donation process, product eligibility, or any other concerns, please reach out to your Costco buyer who will facilitate the process in partnership with World Vision.
Join us in making a difference
Donating your first-quality returns and buyer pulls can help transform lives and communities, while protecting your brand and meeting your business needs. Contact your Costco buyer today to learn more.
Zipping to school in Zambia
Happy is indeed a happy 10-year-old as she zips to school on her new bike.
Before she had a bike, Happy had to trek the long distance to school. The walk left her tired, and her school performance suffered because she’d often miss lessons.
But thanks to the donation of a bicycle from Costco, she’s now on time to class and has energy to learn. Her reading level has improved, and she’s taking the safer main road instead of questionable shortcuts. All of this because of a bike!
“My daughter[’s] performance at school has improved and she [is] really enjoying school now,’’ says Happy’s mom, pictured on the left. What’s more? The family also uses the bicycle to help neighbors get to the health clinic.
New mom Julie cuddles her baby daughter after receiving diapers from the distribution event.
In rural West Virginia, generational poverty—amplified by the loss of industry and the opioid crisis—has left some of its harshest marks on children. West Virginia has the second highest child poverty level in the nation.
Thanks to Costco product donations, World Vision is able to supply partners like Broad Run Baptist Church in West Virginia with essential supplies to help out kids, parents, and their families—including new mom Julie, who cuddles her baby after receiving diapers at a distribution event.
About World Vision
World Vision is a Christian humanitarian organization with nearly 75 years of experience working with communities, donors, partners, and governments to help create opportunities for better futures for vulnerable children and families — even in the toughest places. We tackle poverty at its roots, with an integrated approach that includes water, healthcare, education, child protection, and income generation.
When disaster strikes, we are on the ground, quickly providing immediate support — and we stay to help children, families, and communities rebuild for the future. People are empowered to set their own goals, equipping them so that progress made is sustained — and continued — long after we’ve left.