Recently scored: Dentsu, Omnicom, Publicis Groupe, WPP
Trader Joe's·Retail (non-fashion)·Monrovia, United States·Founded 1958·Last verified 21 April 2026
18
out of 100
Significant gapsPending Review

Trader Joe's is a large US grocery retailer with virtually no public sustainability disclosure. The company reports zero emissions data, has no renewable energy strategy, operates an opaque global supply chain, and faces documented regulatory violations for refrigerant leaks. Multiple NGOs rate it among the least sustainable major supermarkets despite its eco-friendly brand image.

The calculation

Every score shows its working.

Same formula for every company. No curve. No private weighting.

SINK = (0.3 × Base + 0.7 × Performance) × Scale
Industry base impact
Retail (non-fashion) sector ceiling.
48 / 100
Performance score
Sum of the 10 rubric questions, scored 0–10 each.
10 / 100
Raw score
Weighted average before scale penalty.
(0.3 × 48) + (0.7 × 10) = 21.4
Scale penalty
Multiplier based on absolute emissions volume — physics-first.
× 0.82
Final score
Rounded. Significant gaps.
18 / 100
The ten questions

Where Trader Joe's is strong, and where it isn't.

Strongest on Controversies & Red Flags and Resource Use & Waste (4/10, 3/10). Weakest on Transparency & Accountability and Energy Source (0/10, 0/10).

Where the evidence comes from

Every document used, listed.

11 sources used in this assessment. All publicly available. Each row shows which rubric questions it informed.

[1]Third-party verified
Climate-Friendly Supermarkets Campaign
Ongoing
Q1Q2Q4Q5Q8Q9
View →
[2]Third-party verified
Trader Joe's Has a Cult Following, But Is It Sustainable?
2025
Q1Q2Q4Q7Q9
View →
[3]Third-party verified
Don't Discount Our Future: Trader Joe's
Ongoing
Q1Q5Q10
View →
[4]Third-party verified
How Ethical Is Trader Joe's? Review & Rating
2021
Q2
View →
[5]Self-reported
en.wikipedia.org — Trader Joe's
Unknown
Q3Q6Q10
View →
[6]Self-reported
Trader Joe's Sustainability Profile
Unknown
Q3
View →
[7]Third-party verified
Trader Joe's Acts on Climate Change
2023
Q3Q8
View →
[8]Third-party verified
Trader Joe's Sustainable Grocery Store Plastic Waste Analysis
Unknown
Q4Q6Q10
View →
[9]Third-party verified
Trader Joe's Tops Greenpeace Rankings for Sustainable Seafood
2013
Q5
View →
[10]Third-party verified
Trader Joe's Supply Chain Insights
Unknown
Q6Q9
View →
[11]Public record
OpenSecrets: Trader Joe's Lobbying Activity
Ongoing
Q10
View →

If you believe a source has been misread or a newer version exists, submit a challenge.

Trader Joe's in context

Trader Joe's sits at the bottom of the retail (non-fashion) pack.

Among the 42 major retail (non-fashion) brands we've scored, Trader Joe's sits 42nd of 42.

42/42
Trader Joe's's rank
40
Industry average
18
Industry low
57
Industry high
How this score has moved

Trader Joe's's score over time.

today

Score history begins 4 April 2026.

As Trader Joe's's score updates, the trajectory will appear here.

We're backfilling historical scores for FTSE 100 and S&P 100 companies over the coming weeks.

What's being contested

This score is not currently being contested.

Every challenge is published. We'd rather be corrected than wrong — that's the whole point.

No challenges submitted yet. If you have evidence that contradicts this score, you can challenge any question above — cite a public source and we'll review it.

About Trader Joe's

Trader Joe's is a privately held American supermarket chain founded in 1958, operating 630+ stores across the US. Known for private-label products and cult-like customer loyalty, it generates approximately $16 billion in annual revenue. The company operates a complex global supply chain sourcing from undisclosed manufacturers including major food conglomerates.

Founded
1958
Headquarters
Monrovia, United States
Employees
~50,000
Annual revenue
~$16B
Company website ↗
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