Environmental charity, Hubbub, has partnered with the Mayor of London to expand its Food Connect Initiative.
The partnership also extends to the Albrighton Community Centre and Southwark Council to help retailers reduce their food waste by efficiently sharing surplus good food with the residents in the area rather than throwing it out.
Food Connect will redistribute the food through he Camberwell Community Fridge, which is operated by the Albrighton Community Centre.
READ MORE: Hubbub CEO steps down after 8 years
The Southwark based initiative estimates it will share 300,000 meals’ worth of food annually. Additionally, its green ambitions extend to its delivery service, which will use an electric van and e-bikes.
The low-carbon distribution service comes after the success of the project in Milton Keynes where it saved 240 tonnes of good food from waste in its first year.
Additionally, the Albrighton Community Centre already serves 400 residents weekly through vaccination drives, citizen advice and providing a community fridge.
As a result, the centre will be used as Food Connect’s base as it hopes to boost the community fridge’s eight tonnes of saved food waste per month.
Through Food Connect, the Albrighton centre will secure greater volumes of food, reduce emissions through green transport and free up more time for volunteers to focus on socially-focused initiatives.
“The low carbon fleet will not only help reduce carbon emission, but it will also reduce the pressure on the volunteers who would be making journeys by foot, taxi or car to pick up the surplus food,” Food Connect project co-ordinator Helen Innes said.
“We look forward to helping local retailers distribute more surplus food to those who need it, whilst supporting the need for cleaner air.”
Deputy Mayor for Environment and Energy Shirley Rodrigues added: “This fantastic project, with funding from the Mayor of London, demonstrates how environmental action can help tackle the cost of living crisis as we work to cut emissions from both food waste and last mile deliveries.”
Click here to sign up to Grocery Gazette’s free daily email newsletter
