Starbucks Targets Donating All Its Unsold Food In Five Years

Here is an impressive offer from coffeehouse giant Starbucks. All the surplus food in its stores will be donated through a new FoodShare program. Meals in the form of sandwiches and bistro boxes will be transported to food banks from its 7,600 stores spread all over the country.

About 50 million are hungry in the U.S. with 15 million of them being children.

Perishable food, including breakfast sandwiches, salads and paninis, will be picked up at the end of the day and donated. Donating "unsold edible" items to food banks by 2021 has been decided  through collaboration with Food Donation Connection and Feeding America, with whom it has been partnering since 2010.

"Like many of our social impact initiatives, the innovation and inspiration comes from our partners who are volunteering in and contributing to their communities," said John Kelly, senior vice president of Starbucks Global Responsibility, Community and Public Policy. "They saw the need for us to do more, and find a way to use our scale to bring more nourishing and ready-to-eat meals to those in need."

Earlier, the company could not do it due to some logistics problems, but now, thanks to the refrigerated van system, the food donation has become possible.

"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 Kienan McFadden, a Starbucks store manager. "Rescuing food in this way from being thrown away will change lives. It makes me proud to know partners are the heroes in this."

The company is hoping to roll out this process in five years till all its units donate 100 percent of perishable food.