Words by Smiley Team
A staggering 9.52 million tonnes of food is wasted every year in the UK, meanwhile more than 3.5 million people are seeking support from food banks.
To mark Stop Food Waste Day on 27th April, national charity BanktheFood has launched #WasteNot, a campaign asking shoppers to reduce food waste by swapping an item from their weekly shop and donating it to their community food bank.
Food banks are a lifeline for those in crisis, but often they're inundated with one type of item while lacking other essentials – imagine 1,000 tins of baked beans and no toilet roll.
So, BanktheFood came up with a solution.
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It has launched a revolutionary (free!) app that sends shoppers a ‘ping’ and a list of urgently needed items from their local food bank at the most crucial time – when they arrive at the supermarket.
Shoppers can then add an item to their shop and donate it at the local donation station.
"It’s such a simple way to genuinely help the people around you who are struggling and who need help now more than ever," says Emma Spring, BanktheFood co-founder. "The app means people using food banks get a balance of what they need. It would be great if everyone donated just one thing. Each donation will be putting food on someone’s table, possibly the same day.”
Sally Gunnell OBE supports the app: “No one should go hungry. It’s a simple but clever way to make sure that generous food bank donations are targeted to provide the most effective support. Check it out, download the free app and if you are in a position to do so, please get on board. We all have a part to play, and together we can make a difference.”
The BanktheFood app, which has been running since 2021, was initially trialled by Southend Food Bank and is now helping food banks all over the country get the right balance of supplies.
TAKE PART: Take part in #WasteNot, download the free BanktheFood app, find your local food bank and help get the goods they need. Follow BanktheFood on Facebook @bankthefood or Twitter @BanktheFoodUK.
DONATE: You can also donate to Trussell Trust, a nationwide charity supporting a network of food banks in the UK.
