Recyclers have been fighting food insecurity at the local level for years through food or financial donations. Venice, Ill.-based Becker Iron & Metal belongs to a partnership that’s benefited the greater St. Louis area for more than a decade. The company works with Operation Food Search (OFS) which serves more than 200,000 people monthly in Missouri and Illinois, to collect and resell metal from businesses; proceeds benefit the nonprofit’s Repurpose for a Purpose metal-for-meals and furniture-for-food program. “Just a small amount of metal that seems insignificant; if that produces $50 or $100 at the end of the day, that feeds families,” says Mike Becker, co-president of Becker Iron & Metal.
