You may not have heard of the ‘Real Junk Food Project’, but
it is something helping save a lot of food from becoming waste in the UK. The project
is an attempt to help bring about change in our food system. Run by a
collaboration between activists and catering professionals, all volunteers, the
project aims to stop food from being wasted. There are a number of cafes which
have been set up by the project, and more are emerging regularly. The cafes use
perfectly edible food intercepted from skips or stores as it is thrown away. As
well as creating positive environmental impacts by not wasting so much food,
the cafes operate on a ‘Pay as you feel’ (PAYF) system, creating clear social
benefits as well. There is no price on the produce in store, and as well as
allowing people to pay what they can afford, it helps people think about the
way they use and waste food in general. For those who can’t afford to pay in
money, people can also donate by offering their skills for a meal.
