UKHarvest and Felix Project are another two forward-thinking initiatives. These companies are non-profit perishable food rescue operations that collect quality surplus food from all types of food providers, then delivers it – direct and free of charge – to charities that can make use of it.
It’s companies like these who inspire us to do our part and battle this worldwide epidemic. And the world is starting to notice. In 2016, France became the first country ever to ban supermarkets from throwing away or destroying unsold food, forcing them instead to donate it to charities and food banks.
No Leftover Week in the UK and Slovenia is a challenge that educates people on how to reduce food waste by producing no leftovers for a week.
While these are excellent initiatives, the fight against food waste isn’t limited to visionary companies, eco-friendly technologies or government policy – it begins at home, with you. Real people with a real conscience.
Danish activist Selina Juul and her nongovernmental organisation Stop Wasting Food has lead to some major milestones, like Denmark managing to reduce its national food waste by more than a quarter since 2010.
Juul’s initiative has inspired others to help in their own ways. Nicole Klaski started The Good Food, a salvaged food supermarket in Cologne, Germany. It’s the first of its kind in the country, selling products of all kinds, from vegetables to beer, with no fixed prices.
People like New Yorker Lauren Singer simply reduce their own footprint. Incredibly, she’s managed to produce almost zero garbage in four years. Her “zero waste” lifestyle means she doesn’t throw anything away, although she recycles and composts.
Between 20-40% of all fruits and vegetables that are wasted before it even reaches the stores, mostly because they look different. After discovering this fact, Jordan Figueiredo started an initiative called The Ugly Fruit and Veg Campaign, aimed at educating children and halting the waste of perfectly good fruits and vegetables.
