Welcome to the Community Fridge Network on ChangeX! We want to support as many people as possible to prevent good food from going to waste by setting up a Community Fridge in their local area. Here you can find resources and guidance on running an inclusive, safe and impactful project in your community. We're looking forward to helping your Community Fridge get up and running!
- Tessa Tricks, The Community Fridge Network
The Idea
Community Fridges are communal places where surplus food is shared with the local community by local businesses and individuals. So far, they've helped thousands of people connect to their communities, access nutritious food, save money and reduce waste. They are a proven way of stopping good food from winding up in the trash. Surplus food is provided by loca...
Community Fridges are communal places where surplus food is shared with the local community by local businesses and individuals. So far, they've helped thousands of people connect to their communities, access nutritious food, save money and reduce waste. They are a proven way of stopping good food from winding up in the trash. Surplus food is provided by local businesses or members of the public, and is then available for collection by people who need it. Community Fridges are housed in accessible public spaces, making surplus perishable food freely available to all community members. Community Fridges work on the honor system.
Over 3 months, one Community Fridge can:
Redistribute 12 tons of food waste,
Save households and community groups over $10,000 worth of food
Provide local employment opportunities.
Community Fridges are also known as Solidarity Fridges and Honesty Fridges. They have been successfully introduced in Spain, Germany, the UK, and Ireland, and are starting to take hold in the U.S. Each fridge operates in different ways depending on local circumstances. Demand for Community Fridges has been growing very quickly and Hubbub, based in London has recently launched The Community Fridge Network to support new Fridges and build a supportive, collaborative network of people to share resources and experiences.
For US fridges, they will help to navigate local laws around health and safety and provide you with as much knowledge and information as possible to help get your Fridge off the ground.
Find out exactly what's involved in our 5 Step Guide.
"What's special about Community Fridges is that they not only stop good food from going into the trash, they also help build better community bonds by welcoming all people to come and share food. Whether you are sharing your time, skills, a recipe idea or a photo of your meal on social media, our Community Fridge project benefits everyone by reconnecting people through something we all have in common: eating. Food waste is totally unnecessary and Community Fridges offer a solution-- to share unwanted food widely and freely."
- Helen Innes MK Community Fridge Lead
How to get involved
Time:
The time it takes to manage and set up a fridge varies from community to community but it will need 1-3 days a week to ensure it runs smoothly.
This guide provides an overview of how to set up a Community Fridge. Hubbub UK have put together an amazing resource pack, which you can find in the Resources Section of your local Community Fridge page. All of these materials should be used as guidance and bear in mind that one size doesn't always fit all as there are many ways to run a successful Community Fridge.
Links