Surplus food from some inner-Melbourne Safeway supermarkets (which are owned by Woolworths) will be used to prepare healthy meals for homeless people as part of a new initiative coordinated by FareShare, a not-for-profit organisation that rescues some of the 140,000 tonnes of surplus food that Victoria’s commercial and industrial sector wastes annually.

The announcement comes days after Woolworths sustainability manager Kane Hardingham told the SBS Insight program “there is always room for improvement” when it comes to food waste management, and the company “always out there looking for a range of [fit for purpose] options,” including donating unwanted food to charities.

The Prahran, Balaclava, Kew and Fitzroy Safeway stores have now signed on with FareShare, which will prepare the meals with the help of volunteers at its Abbotsford kitchen. CEO Marcus Godinho points out the 140,000 tonnes of food waste from Victoria’s C&I sector produces “around 100,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas” annually.

“Enough food to fully stock 30,000 supermarkets is dumped at tips across the state annually,” says Godinho.

“Landfill charges in Victoria [have] increased substantially and this is prompting companies like Woolworths to rethink what they do with their surplus food. Joining forces with FareShare will not only benefit charities and the environment, but have a positive impact on their bottom line.”

He says the regular supply of food will also benefit the growing number of “working poor” turning to charities across Melbourne, with welfare agencies “struggling with the increasing demand on their services and the rising cost of fresh fruit, vegetables and meat”.

“This new partnership highlights how the food industry can put food wastage to better use and make a significant difference to the environment and to the lives of those doing it tough, especially in these economic times.

“In the last year FareShare has given away 350,000 meals and an additional 200 tonnes of food.

“We’re really excited that our new partnership with Woolworths is bringing us closer to achieving our goal of one million meals this year. We look forward to even more stores getting on board.”

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