WEST HARTFORD--Every year in America, an estimated 70 billion pounds of good food ends up in the trash. As much as 40 percent of the food produced in the U.S. never makes it to people's plates. At the same time, 49 million Americans face hunger.
To avoid food waste, many grocery stores and cafes donate excess food items to local food pantries. Hartford Baking Company faces the issue of having leftovers every day.
"We don't know exactly how many loaves we're going to sell every day and we never want to have empty shelves, so we always want to have a little extra," said owner Scott Kluger.
Hartford Baking Company gets creative with leftovers, making croutons, crostinis and bread pudding. But there is often still excess bread that the bakery refuses to let go to waste.
"I want somebody to eat it," said Kluger. "It does break my heart a little bit when it goes in the trash because it's good stuff. And I'd rather have somebody eat it than throw it in the dumpster."
At the end of the day, the bakery's leftovers are picked up and brought to a handful of charities around Hartford. "It doesn't cost us anything...to donate, so why not?" said Kluger.
One of those spots is the First Church of Christ in Hartford.
"We serve meals to people who are homeless or marginally housed on Sunday afternoons," said Bill Warner-Prouty, who works for the church.
Warner-Prouty says Hartford Baking Company donations really add to the meals the church serves. "It's a real supplement when particularly pastries and good bread like this are put out in front of the people."
Kluger says it feels good to see his bakery's items go to good use.
"It feels great," said Kluger. "Plus, the bread is really, really good."
