Mercadona has increased donations in Catalonia by 30% since January

Last week, volunteers at the Banc dels Aliments de Barcelona headquarters, in the Zona Franca, unloaded a trailer with 68,768 packages of macaroni (equivalent to 34,384 kilos) that the food distribution chain Mercadona had given them.

A contribution that precedes the Gran recapte d'aliments campaign that the non-profit foundation will repeat on November 19 and 20 to respond to the social demand for food. This year's product collection aims to remind citizens that in "the current situation of social emergency derived from the covid-19 pandemic, the number of people served by the Banc dels Aliments has increased by 35%", according to the president of the Federació Catalana de Bancs dels Aliments, Roser Brutau.

With this donation, Mercadona not only collaborates punctually and significantly in the fight against social inequalities, but also multiplies its contribution with the 156 social entities that daily receive surplus products from all the brand's stores in Catalonia, about 250 supermarkets.

Through the collaborating entities of the Banc dels Aliments, Creu Roja in Catalunya and the Banc de Productes no alimenticios La Nau, among others, Mercadona has delivered 3,846,000 kilos of food, both dry and fresh, and personal hygiene items since last January, which represents practically a 30% increase in items delivered compared to all of 2020, when it distributed just over 3 million kilos, in a year in which the distribution chain already doubled donations.

"They are our product surpluses, suitable for consumption, but not for sale" because they have a very close expiration or preferred consumption date, "to which we give an outlet to avoid waste," especially in fresh products, "but also in dry products or personal hygiene," explains Santi Mont, director of external relations for Mercadona in Barcelona Nord and Girona.

Of the 3,846 tons donated so far this year, more than 2,500 tons have been distributed among 98 social entities in the Barcelona regions, 706 tons among 27 Tarragona entities, and 426 tons and 204 tons have gone to the regions of Girona and Lleida, for 22 entities and 9 entities, respectively.

Mercadona has delivered 3,846,000 kilos of food, both dry and fresh, and personal hygiene items since last January

Mercadona applies this policy throughout the company's entire value chain, that is, from orders at origin to final sale to the consumer. "We avoid waste and promote the use of products that pass through our warehouses and all stores with complete management, both inside and outside," specifies Mont.

The head of this chain explains the phases of the company's global management, which adopts the policy it transmits to its customers: buy what you need. Hence, it encourages responsible consumption without making promotions or offers of products in supermarkets, beyond the occasional markdown ---lower price--- of those items on the shelf that, with sufficient quantity to meet the demand of that establishment, have a near expiration date and "we avoid waste." But even at this point, if for whatever circumstances "a second life cannot be given to the product because "sales are not picking up," then the item is made available to authorized managers to transform it into energy, fertilizer, or feed.

Similarly, Mercadona's orders to its suppliers are adjusted to consumer demand forecasts, especially in the case of fresh products, "we avoid the accumulation of items in stores, because it is not good for anyone, neither for the chain nor for the final consumer". "Fresh produce is already selected at origin because each category ---whether by its size or its appearance--- has a final destination, from direct sale or classification for making juices in the case of fruit, for example," says Mont.

Establishments avoid the accumulation of items to reduce stocks and their possible waste

To be more efficient in the entire internal process of fighting food waste, all establishments in the chain have exhaustive and real-time control of products in stock, both fresh and dry. Andthe success of this policy is part of the objectives of the managers of each storebecause what we prioritize is efficiency" and also of its employees, "who receive the corresponding training" to know how to act with each type of product.

The director of external relations for Mercadona in Barcelona Nord and Girona admits, however, that "there is still work to be done; we have pending issues" in the area of bulk products ---such as fish---, in which currently the only possible way to give it a second chance and avoid waste is for the fish to be collected by a waste manager, "when they are products that could still be consumed." "But we will end up managing it, for sure," he specifies.

For the moment, they have also intensified the management of stocks that must be removed from supermarket shelves ---in categories such as personal hygiene--- because brands have a new launch and want to replace existing items. These products are also destined for charitable donations. "In the end, everything is redistributed," says Mont.

Across Spain and Portugal, Mercadona collaborates with more than 290 soup kitchens, 60 food banks, and other social entities to which it makes daily donations, and participates in the food collection campaigns organized by these entities. In fact, in 2020 the company donated a total of 17,000 tons of food to all these entities.