New community fridge aims to reduce food waste

2 days ago 4

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George Torr & Sally Swinfen

BBC News, Derby

Heidi Booth/BBC A woman with brown hair wearing a beige apron holds a cardboard cut-out of a carrot alongside a man in the same type of apron. Both are stood in front of a fridge which has fruit and vegetables in.

A "community fridge" which aims to offer a foodbank-style service to reduce food waste has opened in Derby.

Thrivemind Village in Iron Gate has partnered with a number of organisations and is urging people to donate extra items so they do not end up in landfill.

The organisation also wants to reduce the stigma of people coming to collect food.

Simon Jones, director of Thrivemind Village, said: "In the UK, we're wasting tonnes and tonnes of food each year so this is great way to put that food to good use."

Heidi Booth/BBC A woman with brown hair pulls some courgettes out of a fridge which has an array of fruit and vegetables.

Mr Jones said the scheme was more of a focus on waste rather than giving free food to those who need it.

He added: "There's a cost-of-living crisis, we've had a difficult budget being announced, cuts to disability allowance, all sorts of things... it's harder for people these days.

"We want to break the stigma for people that come along - they are taking food from our fridge to reduce food waste, that is what we're putting the emphasis on."

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