The Rise of the Community Fridge
Community fridges have been around for a while. They go by different names, such as “free fridge” or “community pantry,” but the aims are pretty simple. First, they help to...
Community fridges have been around for a while. They go by different names, such as “free fridge” or “community pantry,” but the aims are pretty simple. First, they help to alleviate food waste, and second, they directly address food insecurity.
The rates of food insecurity shot up during the pandemic, with two peaks. The first was at the start of the pandemic, as people lost jobs and so much was up in the air. And the second peak happened once COVID supports ran out. In 2022, 17 million households in the US reported trouble finding food, which is additionally frustrating considering the amount of food that ends up in landfills.
The amount of food waste in North America is staggering. In the US, close to 40 percent of food is wasted, with 92 billion pounds of food thrown away each year. Canadians create 50 million tonnes of food waste every year, but there are estimates that more than half of that waste could be prevented.
That’s where community fridges come in.
The food comes to fridges in one of three main ways. Ideally, organizers have consistent larger donations from grocery stores and other retailers. If a grocer has a load of apples, juice boxes or lettuce and they know it will pass the sell-by date, they will often partner with a community fridge. Volunteers will pick up the load of food and stock the fridges as food becomes available. Then there are individual donations. These can be leftovers from your dinner or a loaf of bread you grabbed at the grocery store that you don’t need. For many fridges, neighbors can pick up what they need and drop off what they have to give. Lastly, there are the restaurant donations. Just like retail stores, some restaurants partner with community fridges to pick up unsold meals and redistribute them.
In this series, we explore how community fridges popped up in different neighborhoods, speak with folks who both use and volunteer at community fridges, and find out the best ways for citizens to get involved in their own community fridges.
In this series
From Community, For Community: The Rise of the Free Fridge
Community fridges have been around for more than a decade, but they rose in popularity over the COVID pandemic. Why has this form of mutual aid become so popular?
How to find a fridge, how to start a fridge and what they actually need. Here’s everything you need to know when it comes to community fridges.
A Day in the Life of a Community Fridge
Modern Farmer spent the day with community fridge volunteers as they restocked a popular community hub.
On the Ground With the Volunteers Running Community Fridges
Community fridges are each unique, dependent on the people who run them and the people they serve. Here are how just a few groups around the US run their fridges.
Spotlight On the Community Fridge and Pantry Growing Its Own Produce
Second Harvest Food Bank is providing freshly harvested produce to food-insecure residents of Orange County.
This Community Fridge is the Only One Left in Atlanta—and the Need is Growing
Just four years ago, a half dozen free fridges dotted the Georgia capital. Now, there’s just one, and it’s determined to hold on.
Subscribe
0 Comments
Most Voted
