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Detroit nonprofit aims to tackle food waste, insecurity

Detroit nonprofit aims to tackle food waste, insecurity
Detroit nonprofit aims to tackle food waste, insecurity 01:08

(CBS DETROIT) - The Metro Food Rescue says 40% of landfills are made up of discarded food. The nonprofit is looking to change that while also keeping people fed.

Sunday at the Woodward Moosejaw in Birmingham, Metro Food Rescue set up inside the retailer to make shelf-stable food kits for community members in need of food. The goal is to make a nutritious meal fit for a family of four.

"Our mission is really simple; it is to waste less and feed more," says Chad Techner, founder and CEO of Metro Food Rescue.

Techner says he works with organizations like independent grocery stores, farmers markets and other businesses like Moosejaw to not only feed families but keep food waste minimal to none as well. He says they work with 54 different feeding partners, like food kitchens, to distribute the meals they create.

"As a country, we waste 40% of the food that is designated for the people to eat. At the same time, 1 in 5 kids don't know where their next meal is coming from. So it's a mind-blowing statistic that both things are happening at the same time. I mean, we'll rescue giant amounts of food from places, and I know within a mile there's someone who needs it. So it's not that we don't have enough food in this country; it's that we just don't get it to the right place at the right time," says Techner.

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