Alleged first-ever food surplus supermarket in the world, Wefood, has opened in Copenhagen, Denmark. A brainchild of a local NGO, the store sells produce at 30 to 50 percent lower prices than normal chains; the only catch is that food is past its expiry date or has damaged packaging. Volunteers pick up the produce from the suppliers, and food is partially provided by Fotex, one of Denmark’s biggest supermarket companies.
Although Denmark has already reduced its food waste by 25 percent over the past five years, Wefood aims to improve that result even further.
Meanwhile, in the nearby Netherlands, a Dutch store has started giving away food to those who cannot afford it. Opened in Rotterdam last December, Swingmarket offers fruit, vegetables and bread for free (the rest is sold), relying on those four to five billion euros worth of food that farms and companies waste every year.
FRESH IDEAS TO REDUCE FOOD WASTE
