The Waste Not Want Not Campaign feeds the Hungry as EAT Sandwich Chain takes a Bite out of Retail Waste!
For the last half a year a project in London has been distributing unwanted food from EAT City eateries to hostels caring for those hungry and in need
What to Digest:
In the UK alone 8 billion sterling's worth of retail waste is dumped into our bins as thousands go hungry. This figure is too hard to swallow for the likes of City banker Patrick Rarden, the brainchild behind this campaign. Patrick, who also serves as a Special Constable with the City of London Police, has himself seen first-hand the problem of food going to waste:
"The amounts of food being left outside retail outlets in the Square Mile during my evening patrols from Snow Hill Police Station are horrific. Not only was good food being wasted but it attracted the homeless and, unregulated, had the potential to lead to terrible health hazards. We want to make sure this food is taken off the streets and people in need are correctly directed to places they can receive it under better conditions and with extra help available to them."
With the help of Patrick and a partnership between EAT and Veterans Aid, in date sandwiches are being collected and delivered within hours, directly to those who need them most and are gratefully received. Every week thousands of sandwiches have been redistributed to help the hungry at Salvation Army, Veterans Aid, Nacro and other Hostels around the UK.
Staff at the 26 EAT shops who are providing the excess food each day are delighted that it is no longer thrown away but feeds the underprivileged. One staff member said:
"It is terribly frustrating to watch all that food go to waste, this campaign is
fantastic, making a difference to those really in need and I believe others should follow EAT's great example and jump on board to support this wonderful idea."
Faith MacArthur, the founder of the EAT chain, has been looking for new and sustainable ways to ethically dispose of food not wanted for retail use and has teamed her company up with the Fruiterers Company to start up this new scheme, which will also pioneer new ways of making the transport of this food more efficient.
The Cost to Swallow
To transfer the sandwiches around to the hostels will cost £500 per van per week, which includes all pick up and deliveries for the selected route and for example includes five hostels and 30 shops. A new van would enable them to reach hostels and shops in the western central area of London. Lowhub, a leading provider of low carbon transport solutions for London's wholesale fruit marketers are managing the logistics.
To succeed, the plan needed a partner and the Worshipful
Company of Fruiterers Charitable Trust came to the rescue providing seed corn funding together with other City partners. The scheme is endorsed by the Corporation of London and the City of London Police. The vans are contracted from Lowhub, so that the transport being used is as ecologically sound as possible.
Patrick, who is also a Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Fruiterers believes:
'We want to build on other successful schemes managed by Pret a Manger and Fareshare that are already distributing food and show that the City of London can also lead the way on responsible projects to help the community'
The aim is to progressively expand the pilot to include other medium size food outlets supplying food to the poor and the homeless in and around London who are in the care of other charitable organisations, but considerable extra funding is needed to be able to grow the distribution network.
To make a donation to this project please click here for all secure payments.
Other companies or individuals interested in helping fund this project should contact Patrick Rarden on 07773 811015 or patrick.rarden@fruitererscharity.co.uk.
