Past PROJECT

Waste Less Save More

 
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Cambridge’s Waste Less Save More campaign was supported by a grant from Sainsbury’s

WHAT IS IT

Cambridge Waste Less Save More was launched in June 2017. Cambridge Sustainable Food received £30,000 to run a Waste Less Save More (WLSM) campaign in Cambridge.

Our aim was to raise awareness and make an impact on the amount of food going to waste, primarily within households. The campaign was focused on the whole City and made the link between reducing food waste and saving money.

MISSION

This Waste Less Save More campaign was carried out over 5 different projects, to raise awareness of reducing food waste:

  • 24 events reaching over 3,500 people were held as part of Food Saver Champion, including the Cambridge Pumpkin Festival, running food stalls and events, such as a high profile Ready Steady Cook and Film night.

  • We ran a Zero Waste Cookery Challenge involving cookery workshops, with 20 families in low-income areas to help them reduce their food waste.

  • We established a Community Fridge in Partnership with The Edge Cafe, as part of the network run by Hubbub.

  • We supported businesses to use the OLIO app.

  • In partnership with Foodcycle and Coldhams Lane Sainsbury’s, we hosted a Feed the 1000 event.

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Results

The Feed the 1000 event raised awareness of food waste through sharing meals made from surplus food . Three events were held in total, where we met our target of distributing 1000 meals throughout the week.

We launched the Edge Café Community Fridge in September 2017, hosting three events to raise awareness of food waste and use of the fridge. Between November 2017 and April 2018, 483 kg of surplus food was donated and 472kg was taken out, with a total of 509 visits from individuals, and 66 visits from community groups.

Report

The Waste Less Save More campaign helped to raise the profile of food waste in our city and of organisations and groups working to reduce it.

It has also had a long lasting impact on the food waste reduction, particularly with the success of the Community Fridge, with 3 more having been set up since. 

For a full report of the project aims, results, recommendations and media mentions, see here.