£362,000 boost for charity to stop surplus food being dumped in landfill

22 MARCH 2010

Over 300 tonnes of surplus food - the equivalent of 800,000 meals will be diverted from landfill sites each year and distributed to homeless and other vulnerable people, following a £362,000 grant from the London Waste and Recycling Board (LWARB) to the charity FareShare.

The FareShare Community Food Network provides a paid-for collection service to the food and drink industry to distribute food that no longer has a commercial value but is fit for purpose to local community groups.  The LWARB grant is providing 90 per cent of the funding needed to set up a new food distribution depot in the Park Royal business area in North West London. The new depot will lead to the creation of two new jobs and around 50 volunteering opportunities.

The funding was announced by James Cleverly, Chair of LWARB, as he joined the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson to address an audience of city waste experts from around the world at the C40 Cities waste workshop at City Hall. They outlined what London is doing to cut landfill use and exploit maximum economic value from our rubbish. Tackling food waste is a top priority for LWARB, with 1.4 million tonnes of food waste in the capital, 40 per cent of which ends up dumped in landfill sites.  Later this year, the Board's consumer campaign Recycle for London will focus on a food minimisation campaign 'Love Food Hate Waste' and is also working on a Food Waste to Fuel Alliance in partnership with City Hall officials.

James Cleverly said: ‘It is absurd that 8.3 million tonnes of perfectly edible food is chucked away in the UK each year. We are supporting an excellent charity to link up businesses who want to do the right thing with their excess food, with those who will most benefit. Not only will this mean that 300 tonnes each year of surplus food will be used by those who need it, rather than being dumped in landfill, but it will also create valuable job and volunteering opportunities for Londoners. This is part of the Board's vision to cut the amount of rubbish generated in the capital.'

Tony Lowe, CEO of FareShare said: ‘This is an important decision. The provision of this grant by London Waste and Recycling Board to FareShare is a clear statement that they support FareShare’s aims of ensuring that where food cannot be sold but can be eaten it should be. By doing this not only will good food no longer be destroyed but thousands more vulnerable people across London will have regular access to quality food and carbon emissions will be reduced.'

  • In 2008/09, the food redistributed by FareShare contributed towards more than 7.4 million meals
  • Every day an average of 29,000 people benefit from the service FareShare provides, and this will be 6,240 more because of this new depot.
  • As well as redistributing food, FareShare provides a programme of education and vocational training opportunities – the Eat Well Live Well programme.
  • This redistribution of food helped businesses reduce carbon emissions by 13,950 tonnes in 2008/09

ENDS

Notes to editors:

  1.  The London Waste and Recycling Board, working in conjunction with London boroughs has a budget of £84m to spend by 2012 to improve waste management in the capital through increased recycling, minimising waste generation and finding more environmentally friendly ways to process rubbish.  LWARB is funding FareShare as it makes a significant contribution to its key objectives of diverting waste from landfill up the waste hierarchy, cutting carbon emissions and providing lasting social and economic benefits. The London Waste and Recycling Board has: passed its second year Business Plan, which details what will guide funding decisions to deliver the biggest impact in waste reduction, promoting reuse and boosting recycling.  It has secured £18million from Europe, set up a waste 'dating agency' and received over 200 expressions of interest for its funding. It funded reuse schemes, the Recycle for London campaign and committed to fund a 100,000 tonne per year gasification facility, which will heat thousands of homes in East London.  For more on the Board and its roles and responsibilities go to www.lwarb.gov.uk  
  2. In January 2010 the Mayor declared his intention to step down as Chair of the London Waste and Recycling Board and James Cleverly was confirmed as the new chair in February.
  3. For more information on FareShare go to www.fareshare.org.uk
  4. The food that FareShare distributes tends to be food which has damaged packaging or does not meet aesthetic guidelines but is in good condition.
  5. The C40 London Waste Workshop is taking place in the capital on Monday 22nd March – Wednesday 24th March. Delegates from over 30 cities from across the world will be attending to share ideas about how to minimise rubbish, boost recycling and to examine the latest technologies for managing waste.
  6. The London Waste and Recycling Board investment will create two jobs; a depot manager and shift co-ordinator. It will also lead to around 50 volunteer positions. Volunteering at FareShare brings benefits to society and can increase employment chances. Volunteers build valuable team working skills that aid social integration and cultural understanding while gaining vital confidence and practical work experience to boost job prospects.
  7. Recipients of the food distributed by Fare Share includes; -

-         a project supporting young single homeless women aged 16-30 with medium support needs.

-         a structured day care service for people dealing with substance misuse issues

-         a hostel for homeless people aged 16-35 with support needs including mental health, drug/alcohol problems etc.

8. London's 33 boroughs remain statutorily responsible for the collection and disposal of waste in the capital.  The London Waste and Recycling Board was announced in 2006, with the aim of bringing together all those involved in managing the capital's waste.

9. For more information on the Board’s consumer campaign, Recycle for London, go to www.recycleforlondon.com  

10. On Tuesday 16th March, FareShare won the award as “Britain’s Most Admired Charity” at the Third Sector Awards ceremony.