The initiative is an example of the actions that Maresme Circular is carrying out to prevent food waste in the region
The action is part of the Maresme Waste Prevention Plan, which aims to reduce waste generation by 26.4%
This week Maresme Circular and El Masnou Town Council have promoted a food reuse circuit in the municipality. Around twenty supermarkets and greengrocers, some regularly and others on a one-off basis, will give the surplus food they generate to the La Sitja Food Distribution Centre, which will distribute it free of charge to people and families living in poverty or at risk of social exclusion.
The initiative is part of the actions that Maresme Circular, a project of the Maresme Waste Consortium, is carrying out with Rezero to prevent food waste in the region and is part of the Maresme Waste Prevention Plan, which aims to reduce waste generation by 26.4% by 2027, compared to 2010.
It is also in line with other El Masnou Town Council campaigns aimed at preventing the generation of waste and encouraging recycling, such as the “Move for Zero“, “Green Commerce” and “Don’t stand out ” awareness-raising campaigns, which were carried out recently.
All the participating establishments have become part of the Food Bridge, a project promoted by Rezero and the Resource Bank that channels surplus food from more than 130 companies from all over Catalonia and takes advantage of more than 980,000kg of food, sending it to social organisations that help groups in vulnerable situations.
720,000kg of food in the rubbish bin every day
Every day in Catalonia 720,000 kg of food is thrown away, more than half of it in households, but also in shops such as supermarkets and greengrocers. This wasted food, which totals 260,000 tonnes a year, is equivalent to the food needs of 500,000 people for a year.
At the environmental level, the impact of unused food waste from companies ending up in waste streams is not only a waste of natural resources and energy, but also has a major environmental impact in terms of carbon emissions.
Who is behind the project?
Maresme Circular is a project of the Maresme Waste Consortium whose aim is to promote the circular economy in the region.
La Sitja, a centre managed by El Masnou Town Council together with Caritas, the Red Cross and the Temps i Compromís Foundation, is a single point of free food distribution for the entire municipality that has been operating since 2017 with the aim of unifying the three existing food banks in the town and optimising resources. Additionally, it will now expand donations of surplus food from the retail food sector.
A fruit and vegetable shop in Masnou donating its surplus food to La Sitja / Maresme Circular
