Sainsbury's initiative to combat food waste involves installing fridges in certain areas, stocked with surplus food donated by local businesses and individuals.
While 795 million people around the world do not have enough to eat, 1.3 billion tonnes of food are thrown away every year (around one third of global production, according to Fao data). It is clear that something is wrong and that there is a need to address this worrying imbalance. While waiting for effective measures from governments and nations that could solve the problem at its root, some businesses have adopted numerous initiatives to curb food waste.
This is the case with Sainsbury's, the well-known London supermarket chain, which in collaboration with the NGO Hubbub and Bosch has launched the Community fridge network programme. Every year in the United Kingdom, food worth thirteen billion pounds is wasted; while awareness of the severity of the phenomenon is growing, the options for doing something concrete remain limited. Sainsbury's initiative aims precisely to break this cycle, offering businesses and citizens a simple way to curb waste while at the same time addressing issues related to food insecurity.
In various areas, "community fridges" will be installed, stocked with surplus food donated by local businesses and private individuals, and anyone will be able to access them. For hygiene reasons, private individuals will only be able to leave fully packaged food, while only registered traders will be able to donate prepared or cooked food.
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This system has already been tried in numerous countries, including Spain and Germany, where it has enjoyed considerable success. Among the first to adopt a "solidarity fridge" were the Spanish town of Galdakao and Berlin, where two large fridges stocked with food available to anyone in need have been installed in the Kreuzberg neighbourhood. The idea subsequently spread to South America, in countries such as Brazil and Argentina. In Italy too (where at least 10 million tonnes of perfectly edible food currently end up as waste), some initiatives have been undertaken in this direction, though still insufficient, such as the agreement reached by the city of Milan with Milano Ristorazione to redistribute leftover food to those in need.
Before launching the initiative in the United Kingdom, a pilot project was launched last year in the town of Swadlincote, in the county of Derbyshire. The project, funded by Sainsbury's as part of the Waste less, save more scheme (a five-year plan conceived to help British families save money by reducing food waste), used a fridge and a freezer provided by Bosch. "After the great success of the Swadlincote pilot project, which saw more than nine thousand food products redistributed in just seven months, we are delighted to support The Community fridge network initiative," said Paul Crewe, Sainsbury's head of sustainability and energy.
The project has therefore produced tangible and immediate benefits and is set to expand. "The pilot project showed us that a small town can save more than 500 kilos of food every month — it is a fantastic opportunity for people to reduce food waste and save money," Crewe concluded. The programme will get under way this month with the opening of five new community fridges in Milton Keynes; three will be installed in north London (Manor House, Leytonstone and Old Street) and in Northern Ireland.
The public response to the community fridges has been overwhelmingly positive: Hubbub revealed that it has been inundated with requests from people who want to set up a community fridge in their own neighbourhood. The organisation will provide these individuals with free advice on the legal requirements regarding food hygiene and technical support.