The Challenge
In the UK, approximately 10.7 million tonnes of food is wasted annually, and 6.4 million tonnes of this is edible (WRAP).
The scale of food waste, while 7.2 million people in the UK are experiencing food poverty leaves many of us scratching our heads. It not only squanders valuable resources but also contributes significantly to greenhouse gas emissions, accounting for approximately 18 million tonnes of GHG emissions each year.
Lots of fantastic tried and tested work is already happening on the ground - countless community groups including those within Hubbub’s Community Fridge Network work alongside environmental charities like FareShare and The Felix Project, to redistribute surplus food. However, despite these efforts, a substantial amount of food continues to go to waste, underscoring the need for innovative solutions.
The Solutions
Hubbub's “Eat It Up Fund” has backed 13 game-changing food waste solutions to date, with funding provided by Starbucks. The fund focuses on innovative and creative ideas that just need some support to get started, and have the potential to make a big impact. In year one of the fund six grants of up to £40,000 were awarded. From AI systems that match leftover ingredients with ready buyers – at manufacturing stage, to the power of football to tackle food waste, and a tasty new ice-cream brand developed from overlooked ingredients. Alongside burgers made of brewers spent grain, communities rescuing food at the farm gate and gourmet mushrooms grown in spent coffee grounds!
