Our Changeprint
Our Changeprint can be measured by tonnes of food saved from waste per year; number of meals' worth of food shared; number of active community fridges established and maintained and number of visits by the public.
Our story
A community fridge is a space where surplus food is shared for free, bringing people together to eat, connect, learn new skills and reduce food waste. They are usually stocked by local businesses sharing food that wouldn't otherwise be sold in time, fresh produce from local gardeners, and food gifted from households.
Community fridges are independent community assets, set up, owned and managed by not-for-profit and community-led organisations. Each fridge is unique to its location and the community and volunteers who run it. They come in all forms, run from community centres and schools to shipping containers, cafes and shopping centres. They can be found in any community setting, with some open every day and others operating a couple of hours a week. Each one must register as a food business with their local authority and is responsible for their own food management systems and for building relationships with local businesses.
Environmental charity, Hubbub, coordinates a growing network of over 800 community fridges across the UK. The network supports each fridge by providing practical resources and templates to help with set-up and day-to-day operations. Fridges can also connect with others in the network and access funding opportunities (when available), as well as webinars and events.
Across the entire network, Hubbub estimated that the network saved 11,482 tonnes of food from going to waste – the equivalent of sharing 27 million meals worth of food.
Our advice
Building relationships with local organisations is key, as each community fridge seeks to rescue good quality, surplus food, free of charge from local food retailers, producers, growers, restaurants and households.
By upholding the highest food hygiene standards and having a strict policy on low-risk food items, Community Fridges can provide assurances to both the businesses donating and visitors of the fridge sharing food.
Hubbub provides a valuable support and coordination role, helping new fridges to open by providing funding for set up costs (where available); providing guidance on setting up and operating safely. In addition, the charity offers ongoing peer-to-peer support to existing fridges, helping the network maintain its reach and impact.
