Surplus Food Vending Machines at SkyTrain Stations Support Food Bank

The Greater Vancouver Food Bank (“GVFB”) and TransLink have launched a new vending machine pilot at two SkyTrain stations, offering commuters healthy juice and nutritious freeze-dried fruit snacks produced using surplus food.

Surplus Food Vending Machines at SkyTrain Stations

The partnership brings products from the GVFB’s food preservation program into a highly visible public setting. In 2025 TransLink customers made 237.6 million transit journeys. Joyce–Collingwood, one of the pilot’s first two locations, recorded nearly five million boardings and ranked seventh among TransLink’s SkyTrain stations.

The products are made through the GVFB’s growing food preservation program. Using methods such as juicing and freeze-drying, the organization extends the shelf life of surplus fresh food and makes nutritious products available throughout the year.

The majority of preserved food is intended for clients and communities in need, while a smaller portion is sold through initiatives such as the new vending machines.

How it Began

The Greater Vancouver Food Bank received 70,000 lbs of apples that were slightly too small for retail. They distributed a large portion fresh, while 6,000 lbs were freeze-dried and 24,000 lb were juiced. That single donation became the experiment that helped grow food preservation into a social enterprise.

Preservation gives fresh food more time to be useful, and products can be provided to communities in need or sold through initiatives like the new vending machines.

All proceeds from vending machine sales are reinvested directly in GVFB operations, helping the organization preserve and distribute more food and reach more people.

Across Canada, too much edible food never reaches the people who need it. The GVFB believes better infrastructure, preservation and distribution can help close that gap. Working with farmers and food producers, the organization is building a system that makes better use of the abundance already available in British Columbia. Greater capacity to receive, store, process and transport surplus fresh food will help more of it reach people.

GVFB juice and freeze-dried fruit snacks made through its food preservation program are now available at Patterson and Joyce–Collingwood SkyTrain stations, with more locations planned.

The pilot could create opportunities for the GVFB to expand to additional transit hubs in the future.

Follow the GVFB on Instagram for updates and consider a donation to support this initiative and others.

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