Welcome to Loaves & Fishes, where we believe in ending hunger while also caring for our planet. With a commitment to recycling and environmentally responsible practices, we’re helping to cultivate a more sustainable future for our community. Every can, package, and scrap we repurpose isn’t just waste—it’s an opportunity to make a positive impact.
When food finds its way to us, it often arrives in cardboard boxes, resting on wooden pallets, or wrapped in plastic. Ever wondered what happens to these materials once the food has been sorted and shared?
Welcome to a behind-the-scenes sneak peek. Loaves & Fishes is lucky to have professional-grade balers working tirelessly to flatten and bale cardboard weekly. Imagine this: around 1,200 lbs. of cardboard transformed into tidy bales, sold, and the proceeds returned to support our mission.
And those plastic wraps? We recycle about 50 lbs. every week, with 500 lbs. ingeniously crafted into a cozy bench by one of our creative volunteers. It’s become a favorite spot for our clients and volunteers to relax outside our building, adding a touch of warmth and sustainability to our space.
Then there are the wooden pallets—around 100 of them arrive each week with our food deliveries. But fear not, they don’t go to waste. They’re either recycled back to grocery stores or sold for a little extra support.
Recently, we’ve even added an electric van to our fleet for food rescue and distribution to our spoke locations, making our efforts even more efficient and eco-friendly.
In a country where 80 million tons of food go to waste annually, we’re doing our part to combat this issue through food rescue. Whether it’s overproduced goods or items nearing their expiration date, we are pleased to have this food that would have gone to waste going to families in need.
Loaves & Fishes is making choices that positively impact our environment and being mindful stewards of our resources. Together, we’re not only making a difference in the lives of those we serve but also leaving a lasting imprint on the health of our environment for generations to come.
