These 2 Food Delivery Services Put Sustainability At Center Stage — I Tried Both

Whether you prefer to schedule deliveries from your local grocery store or you tend to use online retailers like Thrive Market, grocery delivery services make it easier to shop for healthy ingredients and pantry staples. At mindbodygreen, we’re all about finding ways to cut back on waste. Needless to say, our interest was piqued by two waste-prohibiting grocery retailers in particular: Imperfect Foods vs. Misfits Market.

Both companies operate as discount grocery subscription services with the same goals in mind: To make healthy foods more affordable and accessible, and to minimize food waste. According to the Environmental Defense Fund, every year, between 125 and 160 billion pounds of food goes uneaten in the United States alone. Each company saves many products (such as “ugly” or “misfit” produce or items that there’s a surplus of) from going into the landfill.

Even though Imperfect Foods recently joined the Misfits Market family, we were still curious to learn more about the differences between the two companies: Do both brands offer the same product assortment? How do prices compare? Is sustainable packaging used?

Let's get into the nitty-gritty of what you can expect when ordering from either company.

Misfits Market vs. Imperfect Foods:

Misfits Market

Products offered:

Organic produceSustainably-sourced pantry staplesDairy and meat products

Delivery area:

48 contiguous states

Delivery fee:

From $7 per order, free delivery over $70

Who should try it?

Those interested in receiving organic produce and other products sold at a fraction of grocery store prices may find a good fit with Misfits Market. Misfits Market may also be helpful for those who don’t live close to larger grocery stores but still would like to shop for a selection of sustainable, healthy products.

Who should skip it?

If you like to stand in the produce aisle and individually check every piece of fruit or veggie before adding it to your cart, you may want to skip Misfits Market. This is because some of its produce comes with defects, such as cosmetic imperfections or irregular sizing.

Imperfect Foods

Products offered:

ProducePantry items

Delivery area:

West CoastMidwestNortheastWest South Central regions

Delivery fee:

$6 (orders less than $60), Free for orders above $60

Who should try it?

If you’re looking for more affordable groceries that also help fight food waste along the way, you should try Imperfect Foods. Those who are also low on time or have busy schedules may also benefit from Imperfect Foods, as it can streamline the grocery shopping process and save you a trip to the store.

Who should skip it?

If you want more flexibility in a grocery delivery service, such as what day it gets delivered or how long you have to edit a cart, then Imperfect Foods may not be the one for you.

Pros:

Cons:

Pros:

Cons:

When signing up for Misfits Market, you’ll first enter your email address and create a password. It will then bring you to a page to fill in your full name, shipping address, and phone number. Here, you'll be able to leave any delivery notes such as where you’d like the package left or if your apartment building has a front desk or doorman.

Information will populate on the side of the screen to tell you which day Misfits Market does deliveries in your area. For my neighborhood, the delivery date is Tuesday. Quick note: Unfortunately, the day of the week you receive your delivery cannot be changed. On the bright side, the brand does this to limit its carbon footprint.

Based on the survey I completed, my plan started at $35 per week plus tax and shipping—but the plan can be customized. All changes, including whether or not I’d like to skip a week or change my delivery details, can be made under settings.

The next screen will require you to enter your credit or debit card information, and you’ll be charged your grocery plan cost before you can browse products and go any further (I find this a little annoying). The order minimum for Misfits Market is $25, and delivery fees and taxes are based on where you live. If you spend over $70, you get free shipping.

Misfits Market’s website makes it super easy to shop for products. Under the “Shop By Aisle” section, you’ll find a list of product categories, such as deli, dairy & eggs, pantry, beverages, and more. I found there to be a good number of products under each category, although some definitely have more than others. For example, the pantry section currently has 263 products, whereas the pet section currently has 7. Each item lists its price and how much you’re saving by purchasing it from Misfits Market.

There’s also a “Recipe Inspiration” category which lists a slew of recipes, such as berry ricotta scones and skirt steak quesadillas. If you click on a recipe, all the necessary ingredients are automatically added to your cart. This is great if you’re stumped on what to shop for.

Keep in mind, if you don’t fill up your cart with items, Misfits Market will pre-fill your cart for you. You have a set time window to make edits to your cart before your choices are locked in.

When signing up for an Imperfect Foods account, you’ll first be asked to type in your zip code to confirm delivery is available in your area. Just like Misfits Market, the company decides on one delivery date for a neighborhood to help lower its carbon footprint. This date cannot be changed.

Next, you’re taken to a screen that asks you how many adults, kids, and pets you’re shopping for and when you want your first delivery to arrive. We were given me two options: the upcoming Tuesday or the following week. There was no option to select a date beyond those two.

On the following screen, you’ll see additional information about your shopping window. Heads up: Like Misfits Market, Imperfect Foods pre-fills your cart a few days before each delivery date with items they think you may be interested in. Be sure to remove any unwanted items from your cart before the order is finalized.

What I like about Imperfect Foods is that the company makes an effort to get to know your eating habits. At signup, you're asked simple questions such as “What kind of produce do you tend to eat? Conventional or organic only?” Imperfect Foods also takes note of dietary restrictions, including whether you’re vegan or vegetarian, and what you plan on buying each week. For example, do you mostly buy produce and dairy, or are you also interested in purchasing meat and pantry staples? Before completing the account creation process, you'll receive a quick recap of the delivery details, which is quite helpful.

The Imperfect Foods shopping experience was also pretty seamless. The site organizes items under categories like “Meat & Fish'' and “Dairy & Deli.” Imperfect Foods doesn’t list the number of items next to the category title, so although it seems like the site offers a pretty good selection, it's difficult to know how many products are available. Imperfect Foods doesn’t have a recipe inspiration section, but does list weekly deals, last-chance items, and those that were recently added, which may be helpful for some shoppers.

A sidebar will pop up as you add items to your cart to let you know your total and if you’ve reached the minimum order amount yet. It will also remind you how long you have to edit your cart before your order is locked in, charged, and delivered. Since I set my delivery to arrive on Tuesday, I have until Sunday noon to get the order in.

Both sites offer affordable products that are considerably less expensive than my (the author) local grocery store in New York City. Of course, this will depend on grocery store prices in your area, as prices vary based on where you’re located.

Between the two, the prices are similar, which may have to do with the fact that Imperfect Foods is now part of the Misfits Market family. Below is a snapshot of a typical shopping cart from each.

Misfits Market Shopping Cart:

Lemons, 2 ct. $1.78

Organic Blueberries 6 oz. $5.99

Califia Farms Oat Milk $5.59

Organic Boneless Sirloin Steak $7.19

Imperfect Foods Shopping Cart:

Lemons, 2 ct. $1.78

Organic Blueberries 6 oz. $5.99

Califia Farms Oat Milk $5.59

Organic Boneless Sirloin Steak $7.19

Misfits Market offers a wide range of products, including organic produce, pantry staples, pet supplies, and more.

Below are some current standouts:

Similar to Misfits Market, Imperfect Foods offers a large variety of fruits, vegetables, meats, seafood, pantry staples, and much more.

See below for a few common items offered:

Misfits Market and Imperfect Foods both operate with the mission of sustainability at their core. Each company works to reduce food waste by selling sustainably-sourced “imperfect” produce that would otherwise end up in landfills. In the United States alone, it’s believed that somewhere between 30 to 40% of the total food supply ends up as waste1—so these services have the right idea.

Each brand also puts effort into making eco-friendly choices regarding shipping, especially regarding packaging. For instance, they pack orders in a 100% recycled fiber box and use packing materials (bubble wrap, insulated liners, etc.) made from other recycled materials.

What’s more, Misfits Market and Imperfect Foods will both take back packaging to reuse and recycle for free. Simply return your packages on your next delivery day, or locate a flexible film recycling drop-off location. Through this program, Imperfect Foods has prevented over 6.5 million pounds of packaging from ending in landfills. You can read more about this on the brand’s Packaging FAQ section of its website. Misfits Market offers the same recycling program to its customers. Head on over to the Packaging FAQ page for thedetails.