Pittsburgh food banks to receive regular donations from airport restaurants

Concessionaire Fraport Pittsburgh is working with food recovery organization 412 Food Rescue to donate leftover produce from its restaurants at Pittsburgh International Airport, Pennsylvania, to local food banks.

According to 412 Food Rescue, one in seven people in the USA are classified as being food insecure and more than 40% of food produced ends up in landfill.

Leah Lizarondo, co-founder and CEO, 412 Food Rescue, said, “Food waste is a moral problem when so many of our neighbors are going hungry. We are excited to work with Pittsburgh International Airport and Fraport Pittsburgh in their sustainability efforts to ensure that viable food does not go to waste.”

Several concessions have joined the effort including Starbucks, Hudson News, The Strip Market, Dunkin’ Donuts, Auntie Anne’s, Chick-Fil-A, Bruegger’s, TGI Friday’s and Cinnabon. 412 Food Rescue transports the twice-weekly donations to non-profit charities serving residents in the townships of Imperial, Moon and surrounding areas.

Eric Sprys, chief commercial officer, Allegheny County Airport Authority, the airport operator, said, “We are committed to 412 Food Rescue’s mission to help end food waste in the greater Pittsburgh region. The organization was founded in response to the disconnect between food waste, hunger, and environmental sustainability. It is an honor to join their crusade with our retail partners in bringing food to those experiencing food insecurity in local communities.”

With the largest volunteer food transport network in a single urban region, 412 Food Rescue has rescued more than 4,000,000 lb of food – representing more than 3.5 million meals. The organization works with some 400 food donor sites and more than 500 non-profits. Their scalable and replicable food recovery model eliminates friction from retail and non-profit operations.

Ben Zandi, president and CEO of Fraport USA, said, “412 Food Rescue’s innovative distribution model bridges the last mile, impacting access and food security at a local level. This type of forward-thinking organization enriches lives and communities. We thank our operators for their support and working to be part of the solution.”