Solidarity refrigerators, a Spanish network across the country. In neighborhoods, those with leftover food drop it off, and those in need pick it up (photo)

SOLIDARITY REFRIGERATORS IN SPAIN

The mechanism is very simple. In a neighborhood, a group of residents or an association decides to start a campaign to build a solidarity refrigerator . That is, a real refrigerator where all residents can deposit perfectly edible food (leftover or close to expiring) that the poor, or even associations that assist the poor, can then collect.

Thus, a real network was born in Spain , with dozens of Frigorificos solidarios (solidarity refrigerators), which you can visit on this website . The project has expanded to all regions of the country, from Catalonia to Castile, from the cities of Madrid to Valencia, from Galicia to Andalusia.

ALSO READ: Seven solidarity refrigerators have opened in Bari. What are we waiting for to do the same throughout Italy?

ADVANTAGES OF SOLIDARITY REFRIGERATORS

This initiative has two advantages. On the one hand, it addresses the food waste scandal , with the active participation of citizens, consumers, and families. On the other, it donates food to soup kitchens , where there is never enough and where public funding to support their activities is scarce. The solidarity refrigerator, compared to other similar initiatives, goes a step further, as it directly empowers both the donor and the beneficiaries. Everyone feels directly involved.

SOLIDARITY FRIDGES

In Spain, " Solidarity Refrigerators " are proving to be a huge success: thousands of restaurant and supermarket owners are leaving unsold or surplus food there. It's become a neighborhood habit. Refrigerators are filled and emptied several times a day. While one of the primary goals is to provide assistance to the poor, the purpose of solidarity refrigerators is also environmentally friendly : everyone can access the refrigerator and take what they need, ensuring that no food goes to waste.

TO KNOW MORE: The food waste scandal, the whole truth in this book

GALDAKAO SOLIDARITY REFRIGERATOR

In particular, Galdakao 's solidarity refrigerator , already within the first five weeks of its launch, has recovered kilograms and kilograms of food that would otherwise have been thrown away. Ice cream, cakes, ready-made meals, drinks, yogurt: all the foods have expiration dates and are perfectly healthy.

There are, however, some rules to follow : fish , meat , and eggs cannot be left in the refrigerator . Packaged products and cans must have an expiration date, and homemade food must be labeled with the date it was cooked. Volunteers also periodically check that the food is in good condition.

SOLIDARITY REFRIGERATORS IN ENGLAND AND GERMANY

The Spanish format, after its success in its home country, has also been imported to other European countries, such as the United Kingdom and Germany. Would anyone consider it for Italy as well?

( The images are taken from the Facebook pages “ Nevera solidaria Murcia ” – “ Asociación Humanitaria Voluntarios de Galdakao ” and Nevera Solidaria )