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Mercadona is putting its food waste prevention plans into action this year, with a major push to turn unsold but perfectly good food into help for people who need it most. Across Spain and Portugal in 2025, the company expects to recover 20,000 tons of food and products in its more than 1,670 stores and logistics centres, all of which will be donated to over 850 social entities it works with on a daily basis.

 

The Region of Murcia has a particularly important role in this effort. Here, Mercadona collaborates with 33 social organisations and has donated 776 tons of food, which the company says is the equivalent of 12,930 shopping trolleys. This support is part of a broader Social Action Plan that aims to prevent food from going to waste while also backing local charities and food banks.

 

Laura Cruz, Mercadona’s coordinator of Food Prevention and Management, explained how this fits into the company’s long-term strategy. “At Mercadona, we have a Social Action Plan for collaboration with social entities in Spain and Portugal, within the framework of the food waste prevention strategies that we have been implementing for years,” she said. She highlighted that food donation has “a particularly relevant place due to its social impact” on the more than 850 social entities that receive support.

 

Those 20,000 tons of donated products represent more than 333,000 shopping trolleys, according to the company. As well as food, Mercadona has also given a practical boost to the charities themselves by donating 550 refrigerators and freezers this year to 130 social organisations. These appliances, which are no longer needed in the company’s own operations, help extend the useful life of equipment, optimise resources and strengthen the storage and preservation capacity of the entities that receive them.

 

For Cruz, it is about showing that good management can benefit everyone. “It is a clear example of how efficient and responsible management generates a positive impact on the company, society and the environment,” she added.

 

 

 

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