Eco Savvy’s food share reaches four tonne milestone
In less than a year, Arran locals have diverted more than four tonnes and more than £18,500 worth of surplus Co-op food from landfill through Eco Savvy Food Share, a scheme delivered through the Sustainable Island Life project funded by the Scottish Government’s Climate Challenge Fund.
Eco Savvy is a food share partner with the Co-op, and the partnership sees a dedicated network of more than 20 volunteers collect the short-life ‘orange label’ food from the Co-op at the end of the day and take it to one of the four food share locations for locals to collect.
Food coordinator Jess Wallace, who coordinates the scheme said: ‘We have a brilliant network of volunteers who keep the food share running, without their efforts this wouldn’t be possible and we are very thankful to them.
The food share is open to everyone and is about reducing food waste on the island. We encourage everyone to come along and help stop good food from being binned.’
When food goes to landfill it emits methane, a greenhouse gas more potent than carbon dioxide and in Scotland, food waste has a significantly higher climate change impact than plastics.
The Scottish Government has ambitious plans to cut food waste by 33 per cent by 2025 and this scheme highlights the shift needed for those targets to be met.
Residents that want to take significant environmental action in their daily lives are invited to engage with the savvy food programme, also delivered under the sustainable food strand of the project. Participants get first booking rights on cooking and preserving workshops, learn about reducing food waste and making more planet-conscious food choices to reduce our individual environmental ‘foodprints’ and to save money.
The Sustainable Island Life project also delivers energy efficiency, and travel and transport-related activities.
Jude King, Eco Savvy project manager said: ‘Improving the way your household eats, travels, produces and consumes energy are the three areas where you as an individual have significant impact on the climate crisis.
‘We seem to be at the point where the majority of Arran is aware of what they need to do to reduce their climate impact and carbon footprints and that’s exciting. However, implementing the change is another challenge, and we are here to help you with the question of how, in the context of Arran and your individual households.
‘Please get in touch if you want to support and be involved in any of these projects.’