"No Waste," the project to avoid food waste and help those most in need.

MERCY ASSOCIATION OF GALLICANO –

The Association of Christian Charity “Mercy" of Gallicano, in the province of Lucca, founded in 1869, carries out projects in the social and healthcare fields. In addition to its primary role of ambulance service, the association promotes numerous initiatives. Among these: the “No Waste” project born in 2006 from the active involvement between the Misericordia, the Municipality of Gallicano and the Conad Supermarket.

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HOW THE NO WASTE PROJECT WORKS –

To combat the phenomenon of waste of commercial products that are close to their expiry date or damaged, The project involves the recovery of food and non-food items, which are donated by participating supermarkets. These products are then distributed, through the association's volunteers, to families referred by the municipal social services or who have spontaneously requested them. Non-food items also find a place as prizes in the town's famous monthly bingo game: the proceeds go to purchase all the products that needy families need for a decent weekly shop.

THE RESULTS OF THE PROJECT –

Over the years, many organizations have supported the project, from supermarkets to warehouses, thanks to which it has been possible to create a circular zero-waste project: Non-commercial products are transformed into prizes during local charity raffles, from which proceeds are raised to continue supporting new initiatives.

(Photos taken by Stefania Adami “Outstanding Italian Photographer”, the first woman to receive this important recognition)

The project is competing for the 2016 edition of the Non Sprecare Award. To learn more about the competition and participate, go to here!

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TO KNOW MORE: Fighting food waste: Denmark is a world leader. A lesson for Italy.