Photo Olio website

Food, common sense and community

Zelly Restorick spoke to a Transition Town Hastings member about food waste: the vast amounts, domestically and commercially; how composting is rare;  and how the local Green Party would like us to have food waste bins so that more food goes for recycling and not to landfill. Then, synchronistically, I listened to a BBC ‘s Costing The Earth episode Dare To Share – also about food waste – and the concept of sharing food that would otherwise have been thrown away or composted.

Zelly adds:  “A third of the food we produce globally is thrown away, and in the UK households are responsible for over half of all food waste. The average family throws away £700 worth of food each year. That adds up to £12.5 billion… £12.5 billion that is going straight to landfill!” (Olio website.)

The BBC programme talked about the App, ‘Olio’, which helps people to share excess food within their local community; food they’d otherwise throw in the bin. This is one model of a way to share instead of waste food, for example, if we have too much produce at the allotment/before going on holiday/before a diet/having purchased too much food/etc.

Maybe the Olio App isn’t your thing, but if the idea rings true, it might be an idea you could try out within your own network.

Good to see examples of people coming up with innovative initiatives to solve problems in a positive common sense, compassionate, creative way.

Find out more about Olio: The Local Sharing Revolution and their raison d’être.

Saasha Celstial-One and Tessa Cook, co-founders of Olio

Olio’s Facts about food waste.

Olio’s The problem of food waste.

On their website, cafes and restaurants can join the scheme – or be nominated – and you can become an individual Food Waste Champion.

Know of anything like this going on locally? Any connections and links? Comments or suggestions? Please leave a comment below.

Link to Transition Town Hastings petition to HBC about food waste locally.

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