Surplus food project has prevented more than 12 tonnes of food from going to landfill in Milton Keynes

    A local community fridge has prevented more than twelve tonnes of food from going to landfill since it reopened in July.

    Coffee Hall Community Fridge, run by Woughton Community Council, has been adapted this year to ensure it is covid-compliant and now operates through a doorway at the Coffee Hall Community Centre.

    The project makes use of excess food from retailers across Milton Keynes. Deliveries are coordinated through Food Connect by a fleet of environmentally-friendly electric vehicles, including an e-cargo bike and trailer.

    Sean Perry, Community Services Manager at WCC, commented on the impact of the project since the lifting of lockdown. He said: "We’re really pleased to play our part in preventing perfectly good food from going to landfill. The community fridge is much more than that, though. We’ve been supported by amazing volunteers from our local community who are key to keeping the fridge running smoothly.

    “Although the community fridge is first and foremost a food waste reduction project it’s clear that many MK residents are struggling to make ends meet. One service user explained they only had 14p left and had made a 6-mile round trip on foot to get to the Community Fridge. She had been living on toast to ensure her teenage son did not go hungry in half term."

    He continued: “Since reopening in July we’ve gone from distributing around 600kg of surplus food per week - to over 1500g last week. We have expanded our opening hours to prevent queues to ensure food is not wasted."

    Donna Fuller, Council Leader, added: “I’d like to thank the team and our volunteers for everything they do. Their fantastic work shows just how rich Woughton is in community spirit. As well as playing our part in reducing waste the Fridge has become a real lifeline for some people experiencing challenging circumstances.”

    The Coffee Hall Community Fridge will remain open during lockdown, every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday between the hours of 10am and 2pm.

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