In a bid to tackle food waste, the council, a food rescue charity and a waste company have teamed up to help provide surplus food to people struggling in the community.
West Sussex County Council charity UKHarvest, and waste management company, Biffa, will run Community Food Hubs, a child-friendly service, available to everyone, with the option of a small voluntary donation.
At a time when many people are facing significant cost-of-living pressures, Community Food Hubs encourage residents to take advantage of these ‘surplus food rescue services’.
They also provide education sessions to help residents learn how to reduce the amount of edible food which ends up in the bin.
Last year's pilot programme saw Community Food Hubs established in Bognor Regis, Crawley, and Southwick. Within just six months, they prevented over seven tonnes of food going to waste and provided food to almost 3,000 people.
Building on this success, the programme has been extended this year to include seven community hubs, running once a month across every district and borough until April 2024.
Each area will host a UKHarvest Community Food Hub once a month where, for a small voluntary donation, residents will be able to bring their own bag to pick up a wide selection of surplus foods which would have otherwise ended up as waste from suppliers.
Hubs also offer recipes and host information stands on various subjects, including waste prevention, wellbeing, and Citizens Advice.
UKHarvest is confident that the programme will make a significant impact. UKHarvest Partnership Manager Sarah Morison said:
“We are thrilled to announce the expansion of this successful project with West Sussex County Council and our new partnership with Biffa. We believe that by sharing this rescued produce we can bring the community together to all tackle food waste.”
Deborah Urquhart, West Sussex Cabinet Member for Environment and Climate Change, said:
“Reducing food waste is central to our council plan, we are committed to rescuing surplus food across the county, and our extended partnership with UKHarvest and Biffa will help us achieve this goal."
For information on Community Food Hub locations and dates, click here.
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