BNP Paribas Fortis Foundation is planning to launch new Red Cents collection drive

BNP Paribas Fortis' private foundation is all set once again to collect eurocent coins for donation to the Food Banks.
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​ The royal decree pertaining to the Belgian law passed on 15 May 2014, which authorises traders to round till prices up or down in order to reduce the use of copper 1 and 2 eurocent coins, has now been officially published. ​ From 1 October 2014, shopkeepers in Belgium will be entitled to round the price of the total customer sale up or down to the nearest 5 cents for all cash payments.
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​ In fact, fully 95% of all 1 and 2 cent coins in circulation in Belgium are never used. This revelation prompted BNP Paribas Fortis Foundation back in 2011 to organise a 'Red Cents' collection drive and donate the total sum collected to the Belgian food banks.
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​ Now that the law has officially entered into force, BNP Paribas Fortis and BNP Paribas Foundation have started preparations to launch this year’s Red Cents campaign so as to collect in eurocent coins for donation to the Belgian Federation of Food Banks. ​ Every year, a large number of organisations and individual people – customers, passers-by, charitable bodies, schools, sports clubs and BNP Paribas Fortis staff – respond generously to this initiative. 
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​ The new collection drive is scheduled to run from 19 December 2014 to 16 January 2015. However, collection boxes will already be available at the local BNP Paribas Fortis and Fintro branches from 1 December.
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​ Now that merchants are entitled to round off cash payments to the nearest 5 cents, the 1 and 2 eurocent pieces are set to gradually disappear from consumers’ wallets. ​ BNP Paribas Fortis Foundation and the Belgian Food Banks are therefore hoping this year for an even greater collection of ‘red cents’ than ever before.
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​ Under our Red Cents initiative, 1 and 2 cent pieces, plus also 5 eurocent coins, will be collected at 1,150 retail BNP Paribas Fortis and Fintro branches.
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​ Last year, our third annual Red Cents campaign saw customers, schools and bank staff donate close to 5 million coins. This worked out at €116,283, which enabled the Food Banks to distribute 38,500 hot meals to some of the neediest people in the country. ​ Over the three years that we have been organising the collections, a total of 84,000 meals have been distributed as a result of these donations.