“We are looking for ways to use fruits and vegetables that we no longer want to offer to our customers, because their quality does not meet our stringent requirements. These are mostly fruits and vegetables that are damaged, for example, during handling or transportation, while it is still completely not harmful.
Therefore, last year, as part of a pilot project, we established a partnership with the Safari Park Zoo in Dvůr Králové, which was the first of its kind. Next, we contacted other zoos and the subsequent reaction was a pleasant surprise for us.” describe Petr BaudyšPENNY Quality Manager and continued: “In a very short time, we started working with almost twenty orchards, where we supplied only 18 tonnes of fruit and vegetables during the pilot phase of the project.”

Fruit and vegetable quality is checked at the PENNY store every two hours. Employees sort fruit and vegetables that, for example, do not meet their aesthetic qualities or need to be consumed as soon as possible. These fruits and vegetables meet all health standards and are completely safe for animals. The promotion and supply of such fruit and vegetables is an important aid to the zoo, as it provides quality and healthy food for the animals. “For us, this cooperation is important. We feed more than 60 tons of fruit and vegetables in our ZOO every year. Just to give you an idea, a bear consumes 15 kilograms a day, a camel 2 kilograms, our herd of bulls about 80 kilograms, and so on.” describe Even Korecowner and director of ZOO Tábor. “Throughout the year, there are tons of fruit and vegetables we receive from PENNA, and thanks to that, our game has a steady supply of sometimes exotic fruits, which we can hardly find. It’s not just about fighting waste, it’s also about enriching food.”

Zoos involved in the project as of April 13, 2022:
• Brno Zoo
• ZOO Zlin Lešná
• ZOO Hluboká and Vltavou
• Stí nad Labem ZOO
• Hodonín Zoo
• Vyškov . Zoo
• Valmez . fauna park
• Tabor Zoo
• Din ZOO
• Dvůr Králove ZOO
• ZOO Liberec
• Chomutov . Zoo
• New Royal Zoo
• ZOOpark Stěžery
• Jesenic Zoo
• Play in the zoo
• ZOOpark Radonice
• ZOO Zelčín
• Lipec . Rescue Station

The partnership with the zoo has proven to be very successful during the pilot phase of the project, so PENNY plans to continue to expand the project and involve other zoos and zoos. “Wherever we operate, we want to be good neighbors. Therefore, in the next phase of the project, we want to involve not only large zoos, but also smaller corner zoos or zoos near our more than 400 stores. throughout the country. We hope that thanks to this collaboration we can save tens of tons of fruit and vegetables every year, “ add Petr Baudyš.

PENNY is very active in the fight against food waste. Has long been working with Food Banks, which last year contributed 8 million crowns to the purchase of a completely new warehouse in Dubč near Prague, which was officially operational recently. At the same time, PENNY has regularly provided a food bank with a food bank over the years and is a traditional partner of the Food Collection. Since the beginning of 2018, assistance to the needy through PENNY has exceeded 400 tons of basic necessities and medicines. In times of a pandemic, supporting the Food Collection with an extraordinary donation exceeding 10,000,000 crowns, which is over 150 tons of food.