Tackle food waste with the Compass Point Community Fridge

I’m writing this on January 31st, 2020 – the date that just happens to be the first anniversary of the opening of the Compass Point Community Fridge, located within the Compass Point Children’s Centre on Bedminster’s British Road. It was the first community fridge to open in Bristol and its aim is simple: “to tackle food waste and foster a spirit of sharing and mutual support within the community”.

Notice boards inside the Children’s Centre highlight that the average UK household throws away £470-worth of food each year, while most of the 4.1 million tonnes of food waste that the UK as a whole generates every year is avoidable, and could have been eaten had it been better managed. Community fridges are a great solution.

Local allotment holders, residents and businesses – everyone from restaurants and cafés to supermarkets – can donate surplus food to the cause. And anyone, regardless of background and income (it’s a community fridge, NOT a food bank) can head over and help themselves.

I was at the health centre with my son this morning for his two-year review with the health visitor, and both the fridge itself and the rack of shelving next to it were bulging with food, ready for people to come and collect. The fridge was purely fruit and veg: a couple of carrots, a box of tomatoes, several lettuces, satsumas, apples and even lychees all vying for attention.

On the shelves, there were plenty of potatoes, as well as several loaves of bread from Tesco, unopened tins of spice blends from Bart Ingredients down the road (with a long expiry date), packages of egg noodles, and a few individual items that I’m guessing had been donated by local residents – things like tinned peaches and a carton of long-life milk.

We were actively encouraged to take what we wanted from the Compass Point Community Fridge when our appointment was over, and so I returned home with plenty of tomatoes, bread and noodles to put towards this weekend’s meals.

It’s worth bearing in mind that the Compass Point Community Fridge team is looking for volunteers – as well as those to donate and come and take food and drink – so if you have any time to spare, consider helping out this great local initiative! It’s open from 8am to 4pm on weekdays, so head on over and check it out – and keep an eye on their Facebook page, where they’ll often post photos of what they have available on the day.