Oasis Hub Waterloo have been on a mission to reduce surplus food waste, teaming up with partners Hubbub and Food Connect – as well as Fare Share, Felix Project, City Harvest, Gail’s Bakery, and Borough Market! The Hub runs a Community Fridge, which has grown rapidly through 2022, and now re-uses several tonnes of surplus food each month. Project Leader Diane Blackler explains: “We were lucky enough to get given an e-bike and trailer in September. Now we do daily collections of food which keep our ‘grab and go’ fridge stocked, as well as our big weekly Community Fridge session. It’s sobering see how much food goes to waste – and really satisfying to be able to distribute it for use instead. The Community Fridge is for everyone, and we hope we can help ease some pressure on household budgets too.”
As well as reducing food waste, the initiative has gone one step further with the launch of ‘The Refill’ in November – providing refills of household products such as shampoo and washing powder. Di says, “We’ve been able to put together a range of great quality products. When people bring back bottles for refill, they get a real bargain price as well. So again, what’s good for the planet can also be good for budgets!”.