A pilot scheme aimed at slashing food waste in North Tyneside has gained national recognition.
Launched by North Tyneside Council, Food Fix was set up to prevent the needless disposal of perfectly good meals.
The project has fostered a new partnership between Howdon Community Hub and Churchill and Burnside Colleges, working to redistribute surplus pre-packaged sandwiches that were destined for the bins. Around 150 sandwiches were rerouted to the Hub’s clients during the Easter half-term.
Food Fix was a finalist in in the Best Waste Minimisation or Prevention Project category at the LARAC awards (Local Authority Recycling Advisory Committee).
The council has set its sights on expanding Food Fix to more schools and community centres across the Borough, aiming to save and redistribute over 2,500 sandwiches each year. That could save around 260kg of carbon emissions – the equivalent of driving an average family car 1,000 miles.
Councillor Hannah Johnson, Cabinet Member for the Environment, said: “UK households and businesses waste around 9.5 million tonnes of food every year. A staggering 70% of this is perfectly edible - enough to feed the entire UK population with three meals a day for 11 weeks.
“This level of waste is not only alarming, especially during a cost of living crisis when some people may be worrying about how to put food on the table, but it takes a heavy toll on the environment too.
“Food Fix embodies our shared commitment to preventing waste and tacking the surplus in our schools and colleges, and we hope to be able to extend the scheme across North Tyneside.”
For more information about Food Fix, please contact carbon@northtyneside.gov.uk
