According to research by WRAP, 10.7 million tonnes of food are wasted each year by UK households, food service, manufacturers, retailers and farming.
Now in its second year, the Eat It Up Fund looks for ‘innovative’ solutions to address pre-farmgate edible waste, prevent edible food from being wasted at the manufacturing and processing stage, minimise edible food waste from retailers and find ways to use surplus edible food in creative ways in communities or at home.
Mark Breen, senior creative partner at Hubbub, said: “Food waste is a sticky problem that needs fresh ideas to address it. This year’s entries for the Eat It Up Fund have been nothing short of extraordinary.
“From using tech to detect food waste in fridges to transforming surplus into preserves and passata, the creativity and ambition behind these projects is inspiring. We’re excited to support these initiatives as they develop solutions that not only tackle waste but spark a movement of change for communities and industries alike.”
This year’s winners, who will each receive a grant of up to £60,000 and support from Hubbub to develop their ideas over the coming 12 months, include:
- Newcastle University with their ‘Waste Not!’ initiative aim to minimise household food waste through an innovative ‘Internet of Things’ platform assessing food freshness in fridges.
- Chefs in Schools will train school chefs and kitchen teams to deliver nutritious, delicious, inexpensive food, with creative menus to reduce food waste.
- Big Ideas Company are a social impact agency that creates new spaces for communities to come together and make lasting change.
- The People’s Pantry at Govanhill Baths is a community project in Glasgow that will take a grassroots approach to tackling food waste.
- The Felix Project is London’s largest rescuer and redistributor of surplus food, supporting over 1,000 community organisations across the capital.
- Streetbox will repurpose surplus fresh produce that others leave behind and turn them into delicious ingredients.
- Angry Monk is a platform offering surplus meat, seafood and produce to the hospitality industry, supported by recipes developed by HERD.
For more information on the Eat It Up Fund, and for more details on each of the winning projects, visit: eatitupfund.org.uk.