"Feed People, Not Landfills": Starbucks Pledges To Donate All Unused Food

By Julia Dunn on March 25, 2016

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 30 to 40 percent of America’s food supply is wasted — and 17.4 million households were food insecure in 2014. Today, 15 million children live in households where adequate, nutritious food is limited, among almost 50 million Americans who are battling against hunger.

In efforts to make the most of food that would otherwise be thrown away, Starbucks pledged last week to start donating 100 percent of its unused food to a non-profit organization, Feeding America, “the largest domestic hunger-relief and food-rescue nonprofit in the U.S.” which manages a national network of food banks. All 7,600 Starbucks stores in the United States will honor this pledge through their new program FoodShare (a partnership between Feeding America and the Food Donation Connection), which will distribute ready-to-eat meals to individuals in need.

Image Via Wikipedia Commons

The decision was inspired by an idea from Starbucks employees themselves, who contacted management through emails and surveys to express a need for “more comprehensive donating practices.” Their persistent voices were heard.

Starbucks’ donation program “will provide five million meals in the first year and nearly 50 million by 2021, when it expects to reach a 100 percent donation rate.”

Since 2010, Starbucks has been working with the FDC to donate their leftover pastries; the challenge associated with donating perishable foods is keeping the food from spoiling by the time it reaches a consumer.

“It’s a trickier donation pipeline, one which requires refrigeration and food-safety monitoring of donated meals, practices that don’t apply to pastry donation,” Mashable reported.

All of Starbucks’ uneaten breakfast sandwiches, leftover salads and paninis will be donated to those in need, along with “bistro boxes” — prepackaged meals which include snacks like vegetables, hummus, fruit and wraps. The quality and freshness of this food will be controlled through refrigerated vans that will mediate the anxiety of food spoiling in high temperatures.

At the end of each day, these vans will transport unsold food from every Starbucks location and bring it to Feeding America for distribution.

Image Via Flickr

For those on the receiving end of this extra food, read on for nutritional information for some of the healthier Starbucks items that you may soon see at your local food bank as compiled by USA TODAY College.

Panini (roasted tomato and mozzarella cheese)

–This is the least sodium-rich Starbucks sandwich item (and it’s completely vegetarian)!

Calories: 420

Fat: 18 grams

Saturated Fat: 6 grams

Cholesterol: 35 milligrams

Sodium: 620 milligrams

Protein: 11 grams

Omega-3 Bistro Box

–Contains salmon cream cheese, edamame hummus, wheat-free crackers, cucumber slices, and trail mix that includes chunks of dark chocolate.

Calories: 420

Fat: 27 grams

Saturated Fat: 8 grams

Cholesterol: 30 milligrams

Sodium: 430 milligrams

Protein: 8 grams

Egg and Cheddar Breakfast Sandwich

–A classic sandwich on its own, but if you got this at a food bank and wanted to spruce it up, add some fresh veggies on the inside for extra nutrition along with those 12 grams of protein!

Calories: 280

Fat: 13 grams

Saturated Fat: 5 grams

Cholesterol: 560 milligrams

Sodium: 460 milligrams

Protein: 12 grams

Plain or Everything Bagels

–A great choice for easy and portable breakfasts.

Calories: 280/290

Fat: 1.5 grams/3.5 grams

Saturated Fat: 0 grams/1.5 grams

Cholesterol: 0 grams/5 milligrams

Sodium: 0 milligrams/0 milligrams

Protein: 9 grams/11 grams

That fact that a chain as large and influential as Starbucks has decided to donate uneaten food is an applaudable step towards eradicating food waste and mismanagement as a whole. Despite its widespread prevalence and severity, food insecurity is infrequently talked about due to its stigma.

In terms of resource conservation, food waste is at the forefront of environmental issues as well. An estimated 70 billion pounds of food waste is produced across the U.S. each year, according to Feeding America. It seems only logical that we solve a nationwide and even global hunger epidemic by reallocating food waste for those who are lacking in food.

“This food is going to make a difference, whether it’s a child not going hungry for the night or a family that’s able to enjoy a protein plate that they would not have otherwise been able to afford at Starbucks,” said Starbucks store manager Kienan McFadden in an article from Starbucks Newsroom. “Rescuing food in this way from being thrown away will change lives. It makes me proud to know partners are the heroes in this.”

Starbucks’ new initiative to donate uneaten food to distribution banks instead of dumping it into landfills could make an even greater impact once other companies follow their lead and begin similar donation practices with their own food waste. Companies choosing to donate their food may not completely solve the world’s hunger crisis, but the action whatsoever is surely a significant, meaningful step in a positive direction.

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