Cafe saves 2.6 TONNES of Christmas food from landfill and invites customers to pay what they feel

Oh come all ye wasteful! Mountains of cakes, chocolates and mince pies could be yours for as little as £2 a bag after 2.6 TONNES of supermarket Christmas food was saved from landfill

  • A not-for-profit social enterprise saved the food in County Durham
  • It is mainly a glut of festive products abandoned by supermarkets 
  • The Re-f-use cafe’s also offering vegetables and frozen goods including turkeys  

A not-for-profit social enterprise is trying to find consumers for a massive 2.61 tonnes of Christmas themed food in a effort to stop it ending up in landfill.

Re-f-use, Durham’s branch of the Real Junk Food Project, says most of the food is well in date but Christmas packaging and a glut of products only available during the festive season means it’s now been categorized by supermarkets as waste.

The social enterprise runs a community cafe based in Chester-le-Street, County Durham, and has taken to Facebook to share photos showing the huge quantity of food and to ask for help in distributing the products for a small service charge and on a Pay As You Feel basis.

Not-for-profit social enterprise, Re-f-use, has rescued 2,61 tonnes of Christmas themed food from going into landfill

‘Our shelves and freezers are full, we need your help to distribute this food in a way that gives it value and respects the resources used to create it, while also supporting us to continue our food-waste-saving mission.’

Among the items to be picked up are mince pies, baked treats, chocolates, crisps, fruit and vegetables and also items from the over-stocked freezers. 

Facebook users responded with enthusiasm to the endeavour.

Among the items to be picked up by customers are mince pies, baked treats, crisps, fruit and vegetables and also items from the over-stocked freezers

Among the items to be picked up by customers are mince pies, baked treats, crisps, fruit and vegetables and also items from the over-stocked freezers

Re-f-use, Durham's branch of the Real Junk Food Project's freezers are overflowing with Christmas produce

Re-f-use, Durham’s branch of the Real Junk Food Project’s freezers are overflowing with Christmas produce

‘I completely agree. It’s an absolute disgrace that the supermarkets produce this much waste! It’s not sustainable for our planet,’ Jo BG Gordon said.  

Terry Bunn said: ‘Love the cafe and all the people who make it what it is, I for one will be there with me 2 quid and a donation thanks.’

Sharon Flintham added: ‘Wish I lived nearer. I’d love to be involved with something like this. Hats off to you all x’

A service charge of £2 will be charged to cover costs and and includes a bag. Shoppers will be given a bio-degradable bag, and asked to ‘Pay As You Feel’ for whatever goods taken. 

Customers are invited to 'Pay As You Feel' with a £2 service charge so the social enterprise can cover its costs

Customers are invited to ‘Pay As You Feel’ with a £2 service charge so the social enterprise can cover its costs 

Huge wheels of Stilton are among the products the not-for-profit is trying to redistribute

Huge wheels of Stilton are among the products the not-for-profit is trying to redistribute

Crates bursting with discarded produce fill the floor at the social enterprise in Chester-le-Street

Crates bursting with discarded produce fill the floor at the social enterprise in Chester-le-Street

Re-f-use explained how its Pay As You Feel system works:

‘rather than asking what you *don’t* have we ask what you *do* have… you have value to us not just by the coins in your pockets but by the unique skills and time you can give. Everyone is asked to contribute, but this looks like getting involved and being part of our community, either by paying something in cash or by cleaning the cafe, mending something, writing us a review, sharing what you have with others.’

Durham’s Real Junk Food Project was set up to intercept food before it becomes waste. It serves ‘healthy accessible’ meals on a ‘Pay As you Feel’ basis from its cafe. 

The not-for-profit also runs pop up events, media campaigns, a schools project and a grocery box scheme. 

The Christmas food will be redistributed on Saturday afternoon.  

Facebook users responded with enthusiasm to the endeavour with some saying they wished they lived nearer

Facebook users responded with enthusiasm to the endeavour with some saying they wished they lived nearer

  

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk