By Fredrica Syren:
The real junk food project is a charity that campaigns against food waste by challenging businesses and trying to highlight the issue. They do so with three “share houses” in Sheffield, Birmingham and Leeds; and with cafes, catering, Fuel for School, and other events that serve unwanted food from a wide range of places such as supermarkets, restaurants, farms, food banks, wholesalers and even food photographers. Food that is still ok for human consumption is being sent to schools, cafes and catering events that serve food on a pay-what-you-want basis. The charity has even opened the very first food waste supermarket “the warehouse.” As with the cafés, here customers are invited to shop for food and pay what they want for items. This store has been a huge help for desperate families trying to feed their children.
If you consider that roughly one third of the food produced in the world for human consumption every year — approximately 1.3 billion tons — is being thrown away, this is a great way to combat food waste. Since 2015 The Real Junk Food Project has fed over 25,000 people and saved hundreds of tons of food from going to waste. In 2018 they expect to save over 500 tons of food from the landfills. I’m hoping to see more of this kind of initiative to fight food waste all over the world.
