Stray animals in Türkiye's central Kayseri province no longer go hungry thanks to one district's no-waste project that has so far prevented 3,750 kilograms (8,270 pounds) of bread from simply being thrown away over the past eight months.
According to the written statement from the municipality, teams affiliated with Kayseri's Kocasinan Municipality Cleaning Affairs Directorate have saved loaves from going to waste via 502 boxes placed at strategic points in the province, especially in neighborhoods where the population is dense. People are encouraged to drop off their stale bread in the boxes instead of just throwing it in the trash in an effort to reduce food waste.
The district's teams make regular deliveries to stray animals to distribute dog food made from what is deposited in the boxes.
The aim is to spread social awareness and the project's boxes feature reminders like, "Bread is a blessing, do not waste it" and "Eat, drink but don't throw it away."
Kocasinan District Mayor Ahmet Çolakbayrakdar also said in the statement that bread is one of the essential elements of a meal as an indispensable and crown jewel of any table. This is especially true in Türkiye, where on average each person consumes 200-300 kilograms of bread every year.
"The main message we want to convey with the stale bread boxes is that we should consume bread without wasting it. Our efforts are meant to prevent food from being thrown away. As a waste-free municipality, we will continue to lead the efforts to prevent unnecessary waste."
