Waste in the food industry is everywhere, from packaging, to produce. It occurs throughout the food chain from farm to fork, and all too often, the bin. People are starting to see the unsustainable future of our food industry and as a result, fabulous new concepts are popping up to help solve the issue. Here are our favourite four.
Don't forget to download your FREE FOOD WASTE infographic at the end of this post.
Volcano Coffee Works
With super convenience taking over the coffee industry and more and more people having coffee machines in their homes the demand for coffee pods has blown up in the last few years. But have you stopped to consider where these single-use pods end up once you’ve sipped your tasty brew? Volcano Coffee Works have, and they’re not happy with the fact that the majority of pods go to landfill. Plastic pods take up to 500 years to biodegrade and their aluminium friends do only slightly better, taking a lengthy 150 years to decompose. You can expect your coffee pods to be knocking around a lot longer than your flat white. Volcano Coffee Works is leading the way in the UK by developing 100% biodegradable and fully compostable coffee pods, so you can still enjoy your coffee without the side of environmental guilt. You can dispose of your Volcano coffee pods by putting them into your compost bin at home or into your Council's green waste collection scheme safe in the knowledge that in just 150 days the pods will have completely disintegrated. Website: https://volcanocoffeeworks.com/Email: pods@volcanocoffeeworks.comPhone: +44 (0) 203 876 0876
OddBox
Jamie Oliver made headlines back in 2006 when he managed to convince Asda to stock wonky veg. Wonky veg encompasses produce that doesn’t meet the strict supermarket specifications. 30% of all fresh produce is wasted before it hits the shelves for not adhering to these strict standards. Mother nature was never designed to be so strict and we love that OddBox is delivering these beautiful, unique and individual fruits and vegetables to people's doors and saving them from the bin. Born in London, OddBox rescues the curvy courgettes, petite pears and bi-colour peppers from our local growers and delivers them straight to your door - and because it’s not ‘perfect’ you get it 30% cheaper!The boxes are delivered fresh to your door on a weekly or fortnightly basis and there are even office boxes to help staff in the workplace meet their 5 a day. This fabulous start-up is currently delivering to homes across South London and Workplaces in central London with the aim to expand and cover more London territory! Website: https://www.oddbox.co.uk/Email: hello@oddbox.co.uk
The Urban Cordial Company
The super-strict supermarket guidelines don’t just apply to veg but to fruit too, and tonnes of it go to waste every year. If only someone were turning this waste fruit into tasty cordials. Oh, wait they are! Meet Natasha, the founder of The Urban Cordial Company. Natasha has been making cordial from foraged fruits since 2013 but as demand for her cordials grew there just weren’t enough foraging hours in the day. With tales of food-waste whispering in the wind, she decided to approach fruit farms and ask if they had surplus fruit waste. Now her cordials are packed with as many fruits destined for the bin as possible, not perfect enough for the supermarket but still delicious in Natashas cordials. Email: hello@theurbancordialcompany.comWebsite: http://theurbancordialcompany.com/
Felix Project
The Felix Project is a charity that works with food suppliers and charities to reduce food waste and food poverty. They collect food from supermarkets, wholesalers and other food suppliers – food that is fresh and nutritious but cannot be sold for various reasons. They then deliver that food free of charge to a range of charities across London who provide meals, snacks or food parcels for their clients, who include the elderly, the homeless, those with mental health issues, refugees and asylum seekers and families and children. Kafoodle recently spent a day with the Felix Project to see first hand how their efforts are not only saving tonnes of food from landfill but also feeding those in need. You can read that blog post here. Phone: 020 3489 8588Email: westlondon@thefelixproject.orgWebsite: http://thefelixproject.org
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