The announcement comes as more individuals and families struggle to cope with the rising cost of living. FareShare helps to distribute surplus fruit, vegetables, meat and non-perishable items including pasta and tins to almost 9,500 projects across the UK.
David Hay, managing director of Compass Scotland, said: “Food waste is a significant driver of climate change, with around a third of all food produced globally lost or wasted – and so understanding and minimising food waste is something that Compass Scotland is very eager to continue to address.
“Working with FareShare is something we’re all really motivated to get behind at Compass Scotland. There’s something significant in taking an existing relationship that we have with the Group and driving it forward in Scotland, making sure that surplus Scottish food is going to Scottish people in need.”
In 2021, Compass’ donations amounted to the equivalent of more than 200,000 meals for people in need, supporting 2,510 charities in the process. Compass Scotland has kicked off the partnership at one of its largest sites, the Scottish Event Campus (SEC) in Glasgow.
The SEC also diverted 1.5 tonnes of surplus food to 42 charities and community groups in Scotland between April and June 2022. This equated to 3,600 meals, helping to prevent 2.4 tonnes of embedded CO2e. Compass Scotland now plans to expand the partnership across the business to as many of its sites as possible.
Jon Molyneux, Scottish affairs lead at FareShare, added: “No one can escape the news about the rising cost of living, and so this partnership with Compass Scotland has come at such a crucial time.
“FareShare supports hundreds of community organisations across Scotland that help turn surplus good food into meals for people, as well as working to tackle the causes of their hunger. We look forward to working with the Compass Scotland team to ensure good surplus food gets onto the plates of those in Scotland who need it most.”