Puerto Rico Chick-fil-A Diverts Food Waste by Donating Excess Lettuce to Manatee Conservation Center

A Chick-fil-A restaurant in Los Filtros, Puerto Rico is diverting its food scraps, specifically lettuce, by donating it to feed local manatees.

“I have been a manatee lover since the age of five,” explains Caitlin Chávez, the local Owner-Operator of this Bayamón Restaurant. “Never in my life did I think that I’d have the opportunity to feed and help save manatees as a Chick-fil-A Owner-Operator.” 

Excess romaine and green leaf lettuce is collected by Caitlin and her team members and then is donated weekly to the Caribbean Manatee Conservation Center (CMCC). During each visit, the restaurant donates about 200 pounds of lettuce on average. This lettuce feeds young, orphaned manatees or injured adult manatees that are being rehabilitated.

“We need a lot of food to take care of these animals,” says Adriana Figueora, a staff member at the CMCC. “It’s amazing that a company like Chick-fil-A is helping us with our conservation efforts.”

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