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Community fridge saves 24,000 meals from landfill

Tens of thousands of meals have been saved from being dumped thanks to a community fridge in County Tyrone.

Local supermarkets and businesses donate fresh food, keeping the fridges stocked with perishable food which was destined for landfill.

Angela O’Brien, who manages the Owenkillew centre where the community fridge in Gortin is based, said it had saved 10 tonnes of edible food – 24,000 meals – since it was set up in 2023.

She said it was “horrendous” to see so much food being thrown out when it could be used by families.

Growing in popularity

A woman is smiling straight into the camera. She's wearing a blue coloured polar neck jumper and has a pair of glasses balancing on her hair. She is weighing a loaf of bread on a set of scales as part of the Community Fridge initiative. Sitting beside the scales are boxes of eggs laid by the hens in the community garden.A woman is smiling straight into the camera. She's wearing a blue coloured polar neck jumper and has a pair of glasses balancing on her hair. She is weighing a loaf of bread on a set of scales as part of the Community Fridge initiative. Sitting beside the scales are boxes of eggs laid by the hens in the community garden.

Angela O’Brien weighs a loaf of bread in the Owenkillew community centre [BBC]

The Community Fridge Network is coordinated by Hubbub, a UK-wide charity dedicated to promoting sustainability and protecting the environment.

The first community fridge to open its doors in Northern Ireland was in Cloughmills in County Antrim in 2017.

They have been growing in popularity since then and there are now 15 run by community groups and volunteers in shared spaces such as schools and community centres.

Anyone can use them.

A corner of a room is filled with a colourful collection of cupboard items. In the foreground there are boxes of bottled water and packets of crisps. On the table sits a bowl of apples; loaves of many varieties of bread; cereals; jams ; pots of custard and ready made porridge in pots.A corner of a room is filled with a colourful collection of cupboard items. In the foreground there are boxes of bottled water and packets of crisps. On the table sits a bowl of apples; loaves of many varieties of bread; cereals; jams ; pots of custard and ready made porridge in pots.

Cupboard items available at the community fridge in Gortin [BBC]

What is a community fridge?

A food bank can help if you cannot afford to buy the food you need.

People usually need a referral, it is normally not possible just to walk into one and get food.

A community fridge is available to everyone regardless of how much they earn.

There are other initiatives across the 11 council areas in NI including social supermarkets.

Two well fed hens - one looking sidelong into the camera wait to be fed scraps beside a compost heap. They're in a sealed off area in a community garden. In the background are lots of vegetable scraps which the hens have been feeding off.Two well fed hens - one looking sidelong into the camera wait to be fed scraps beside a compost heap. They're in a sealed off area in a community garden. In the background are lots of vegetable scraps which the hens have been feeding off.

The community garden is home to eight hens [BBC]

There are eight hens in the community garden, and when they hear Dave Rickford, who oversees the community fridge, rattling bags of fruit and veg, they make an excited dash to his feet.

Opening bags and scattering contents on the ground, Dave said the hungry hens have their favourites – grapes and cabbage – “but they’ll have a go at eating anything”

They eat the food which is not legally fit for human consumption.

Their waste creates compost and they lay eggs which are used in the fridge.

A man wearing jeans and a sports' top stoops over a group of 6 hens. He's emptying a bag of stir fry veg which has passed its "use by" date. The hens bend their heads in unison to pick at the scraps. In the background is fencing which forms part of a secure enclosure for the birds.
A man wearing jeans and a sports' top stoops over a group of 6 hens. He's emptying a bag of stir fry veg which has passed its "use by" date. The hens bend their heads in unison to pick at the scraps. In the background is fencing which forms part of a secure enclosure for the birds.

Dave Rickford feeds hens food past its “use by” date [BBC]

According to the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP), the average person in NI wastes 86kg (185lbs) of food annually – 210kg per household .

The Department for Agriculture, the Environment and Rural Affairs (Daera) is a signatory to the UK Courtauld Commitment 2030, with WRAP, the primary delivery partner for food waste prevention in Northern Ireland.

The estimated total cost of edible food purchased that ends up as wasted food in Northern Ireland for 2021-22 is £442m.

This represents £231 per person, or £572 per household.

‘Grandma would be disgusted’

A mother-of-three children who was visiting the community fridge for the first time said it was “much better than I imagined”.

She said her grandma would be “disgusted” if she saw the amount of waste.

‘Great for the people’

A happy looking woman in a red top with the symbol of a heart printed on it stands smiling into the camera. She is holding up a bag of Belgian waffle. It is just one of the items she has picked up. In the background are a row of ready made porridge in pots stacked in a row.A happy looking woman in a red top with the symbol of a heart printed on it stands smiling into the camera. She is holding up a bag of Belgian waffle. It is just one of the items she has picked up. In the background are a row of ready made porridge in pots stacked in a row.

Lavinia McFarland goes to the community fridge when she can [BBC]

Lavinia McFarland, along with her son, Samuel and his grandmother, try to go to the community fridge every week on a Wednesday afternoon.

She said the food she received was amazing.

“There’s nothing wrong with the produce,” she said.

“It’s a great incentive, great for the environment and great for the people.”


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