HelloFresh is mourning the loss of food items that were gone too soon with the launch of its food waste graveyard. The pop-up activation located in Lawrence Park (55 Glengowan Road) symbolizes all of the wasted food “laid to rest”.
GHASTLY FACTS ABOUT FOOD WASTE:
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- The average Canadian household generates 372 pounds of avoidable food waste each year. That’s the equivalent of 31 (12 lbs) pumpkins per year.
- In Canada, almost 2.2 million tonnes of edible food is wasted each year.
A FOOD WASTE GRAVEYARD
This local Toronto home will be the set of the graveyard, with tombstones that share relatable, spooky truths that are easy to digest. The Food Waste Graveyard will be open to the public from Friday, October 21st to Monday, October 31st.
Not scared yet? Canada’s annual cost of food loss and waste is more than $1,700 per household. That’s equivalent to that all-inclusive trip you’ve had your eyes on, or the laptop your child needs for school.
“We’ve all tried a new recipe that calls for ¼ cup of fresh cilantro. You buy it fresh, cook the dish and then are left with an almost full bunch of leftover cilantro that will likely end up unused and in the trash in a matter of days,” says HelloFresh Corby-Sue Neumann, Director of Culinary for HelloFresh Canada.
THE FACTS ARE FRIGHTENING
One bunch of herbs may not seem like a lot, but it adds up. A recent study found that food waste across the country is costing Canadians in excess of $20 billion.
“With pre-portioned fresh ingredients and easy recipes delivered straight to your door, HelloFresh offers Canadians tangible mealtime solutions that save 36% less food waste compared to the traditional way of shopping and cooking for dinner. Canadians that cook with HelloFresh not only do their part in reducing food waste, but they also save money in the process,” adds Corby-Sue.
A recent survey, conducted by Dalhousie University’s Agri-Food Analytics Lab, found that 40% of Canadians said they’re trying to waste less food now compared to 12 months ago. The study also found that food waste reduction is the number one thing consumers are doing to cut costs.
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN IN THE GRAND SCHEME OF THINGS?
When wasted food ends up in local landfills, or in our case, graveyards, the rotten scraps produce methane – a greenhouse gas that is even stronger than carbon dioxide. HelloFresh produces fewer greenhouse gas emissions after a meal is finished. HelloFresh meal leftovers generate 29% fewer emissions as compared to a meal prepared without Hellofresh. This is due to the accurately portioned ingredients as well as the vegetarian meal options, which give customers the opportunity to further reduce their carbon footprint.
To learn more about how HelloFresh helps Canadians reduce their household food waste, please visit https://www.hellofresh.ca/foodwasteisscary