Kaibosh

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We put some questions to Matt Dagger on your behalf. What does Kaibosh do? “We collaborate with food retailers to prevent surplus food that’s good enough to eat, but not good enough to sell, from being discarded into landfills. We redistribute this food to charities that work with individuals and families who are struggling to make ends meet”, explains Matt. “In the past twelve months we’ve rescued 53,000 kg of good food from being needlessly thrown away and ensured that it has reached those who need it most. We’ve achieved this by being the link between 19 different food retailers/producers and 17 different Wellington charities.” Why do businesses donate? “I believe that the key motivator is a desire to prevent needless waste, even though there may not be a huge financial benefit to them. Businesses also seem to appreciate that many people are struggling to make ends meet and this is one way they can do their bit to help” says Matt. Other motivators include: • It's free! Surplus food is collected at no cost to the business. • It’s easy! It's no different to throwing food away. Instead of throwing food into a bin, businesses put it into a cardboard box or bag ready for pick up. We also work to the businesses' schedule and collect their surplus food when it's most convenient for them. • Donating businesses attract more customers. Supporters of Kaibosh also want to support the other businesses that donate to us. • Donating increases the value of their brand. Customers love that businesses are reducing waste and donating to charity at the same time. • Donating surplus food is great for staff morale and buy-in. Why don’t more businesses donate? “There’s a wide range of reasons why businesses don’t get involved, but a key one seems to be a lack of awareness. Despite our track record, success and very best promotional efforts there are still many who aren’t aware of food rescue as a viable alternative to the rubbish bin”, says Matt. Staffing constraints can be a barrier. “Operating a food rescue programme does require a small amount of employee time, though probably no more than just tossing it in the bin. However some businesses don’t want to spend more time managing something that in their minds is a waste product. So a key thing is trying to get them to understand that this isn’t waste, it’s actually a valuable resource which can make a real difference in our community.” “Naturally there are also some compliance concerns”, says Matt. “This can include businesses not understanding the difference between best-before and use-by dates on food items, concerns about food safety and donor liability, or not having an organisational food donation policy.” “These are generally relatively minor things which can all be overcome; however it can sometimes just seem too hard for businesses.” While still in its fledgling stages in New Zealand, food rescue is set to grow. There are already operations in Dunedin (FoodShare), West Auckland (Fair Food), Christchurch (0800 HUNGRY) and Palmerston North (Just Zilch) to name but a few. If there is a food rescue organisation in your area then please support it, as your efforts can make a real difference. And if there’s not, why not consider starting one? To help you Kaibosh have developed this simple guide to starting up a food rescue organisation: http://bit.ly/kaibosh 14
a d v e r t o r i a l Put the landfill on a diet Move to food waste collection Whichever way you look at it, food waste collection should be the next big thing in waste management. We are not saying that just because we have run the first successful dedicated food waste collection trial in New Zealand. We are not saying it because we have built a financial model to make it work for everyone. We are saying it because local authorities have a unique mix of pressures and opportunities that should drive food waste collection to the top of the agenda. Relieve pressure on landfills: food accounts for over 40% of the average household waste. Diverting it away from the landfill relieves pressure on land, staff and infrastructure. Achieve impressive greenhouse mitigation goals: Food waste decomposes in our landfills to produce methane which is a greenhouse gas 21 times more potent than carbon dioxide. Internationally, landfills account for about 20% of methane emissions. Give the agricultural sector a huge boost. Food waste is a valuable resource used in the production of high-quality agricultural compost that can increase crop yields by up to 15%. A 1% iNCReAse iN CRop yield equAtes to $30 MillioN iNCReAsed ReveNue FoR NZ’s hoRtiCultuRAl iNdustRy. * Compost on an industrial scale. Incredibly, Kiwis, just like the rest of the global population, throw away about 40% of all food produced. It could be turned into compost. ●●Compost reduces the need for cultivation by improving the soil structure. ●● Improved soil structure reduces erosion by improving the ground’s water-holding capacity. ●●This, in turn, reduces irrigation requirements. ●●Greener fields: compost reduces the need for other fertilisers which reduce the cost of production. ●●Good compost improves soil and plant health, boosting disease resistance and fostering better yield. FuRtheR iNFoRMAtioN ANd ReAdiNG Earthcare Environmental knows how to make food waste collection work for territorial authorities. We have built the financial, operational and marketing models to achieve it. For more information, including on our Putaruru Food Trial, visit www.earthcarenz.co.nz. On the home page you can download the Household Organic Waste Cost Benefit Analysis report we commissioned leading environmental research firm Eunomia to undertake. If you would like additional information, contact our CEO, Mike Jones, directly on mike@earthcarenz.co.nz www.earthcarenz.co.nz * “Household Organic Waste Cost Benefit Analysis” 2010, Eunomia Research and Consulting. mar 2013 \ WWW.WASTEMINZ.ORG.NZ \ 15
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