The idea is to curb food waste down to nothing B次元官网网址� and itB次元官网网址檚 working.

In the past four months, Chilliwack has been the pilot site for a food-waste diversion project thatB次元官网网址檚 being called a B次元官网网址済ame-changer.B次元官网网址�

Save-On-Foods joined forces with Food Banks BC, FoodMesh, Loop Resource, and charities like Chilliwack Salvation Army to reach the goal of B次元官网网址渮ero surplus and potentially wasted foodB次元官网网址� ending up in the waste stream.

A lot has been accomplished.

B次元官网网址淓very item they canB次元官网网址檛 use, we are getting it,B次元官网网址� said Don Armstrong, coordinator of the Chilliwack Salvation Army Food Bank, picking up some fresh asparagus and packages of sushi received from Save-On.

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Black Press Media stopped by the food bank last week to see how the pilot project was working, as Sally Ann volunteers and staff combed through six pallets of boxed produce, dairy, and baked goods from Save-On-Foods.

Out of a weekB次元官网网址檚 worth of food, they maybe had one garbage bag full they couldnB次元官网网址檛 put to use.

B次元官网网址淭he program works fantastic,B次元官网网址� said Armstrong, adding they can use about 90 per cent of what they have been getting, and farmers will come by every day to pick up whatB次元官网网址檚 left to feed their livestock.

B次元官网网址淧eople are coming in and theyB次元官网网址檙e loving the stuff that we are able to give them,B次元官网网址� said Armstrong. B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e giving them apples, weB次元官网网址檙e giving them oranges, bananas, sandwiches, deli meats, roasts, and turkeys.B次元官网网址�

The food-waste diversion is now operational in more than half of the 170 Save-On-Foods stores across the province, including all three in Chilliwack, where the pilot has been redirecting food in a consistent, safe, and measurable way.

The grocery chain spent the past year trying to surpass its company-wide goal to reduce food waste by 50 per cent by 2025.

B次元官网网址淲e have been composting perishable waste where possible for a number of years, but we knew we could do better,B次元官网网址� said Darrell Jones, president of Save-On-Foods, in a release.

The idea is to eventually see the initiative rolled out in all Save-On stores across Western Canada.

B次元官网网址淲ith close to 1.5 million metric tonnes valued at close to $6.4 billion dollars of surplus edible food wasted each year in B.C. and close to 100,000 individuals struggling to put food on the table, perishable food recovery with our partner, Save-On-Foods, has been a true game-changer,B次元官网网址� said Laura Lansink, executive director of Food Banks BC.

So where is it all heading?

B次元官网网址淲hat weB次元官网网址檙e hoping is that other grocery stores will see what Save-On-Foods is doing, and get on board, so we can get all this food out of the landfills,B次元官网网址� Armstrong said.

jfeinberg@theprogress.com
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