Within the framework of the European Week of Waste Prevention, the Maresme Consortium for Municipal Solid Waste Treatment has announced that it will support, in collaboration with the Catalan Waste Agency, the installation of solidarity fridges in the region. These fridges are available to everyone who wishes to participate in the project to leave excess food which can be used by anyone, independently of their economic situation, and guarantees the anonymity of the users. The Consortium plans to install the fridges in three different locations in the Maresme, establishing the necessary agreements and involvement of the entities and volunteers who will be in charge of maintaining the service in perfect condition.
Currently Catalonia has six solidarity fridges in which to leave surplus food, which are in the Barcelona neighbourhoods of Sant Andreu, Clot and the Eixample, and in the towns of the Seu d’Urgell, Manlleu and Vila-seca. The one in the ateneo la Armon\u00eda, in San Andr\u00e9s, Barcelona, receives between 6000 and 7000 kilos of food every month. Food left in the fridge includes dairy products, vegetables, fruit, and even meat. The fridges form part of a network which began 3 years ago in different parts of Spain, with the aim of making the most of food which can be shared and not wasted.<\/p>\n
Every year in Catalonia, 262,471 tonnes of solid food are thrown away, which could be used in homes, restaurants, bars, catering services and businesses. This figure corresponds to the annual dietary needs of half a million people. It\u2019s been calculated that 40% of all food produced in the world ends up in the rubbish, due to its appearance, the proximity of its use-by date, or by calculation errors when planning menus. A lot of this food becomes waste, when in reality it is a valuable resource which is perfectly usable.<\/p>\n