Member Article

The Real Junk Food community project makes waves with Leeds’ Kirkgate market

The Real Junk Food Project has hit headlines , using unsold food from Leeds’ Kirkgate market for a unique cafe offering.

Although the council doesn’t get any economic from the project directly, sending less landfill away reduces waste bills and overheads, with the savings passed on to traders in the market, meaning that service charges and daily fees are kept down.

Adam Smith co-founder of THe Real Junk Food Project and Sue Burgess of Kirkgate market talked to Bdaily about their organisations remarkable partnership and plans for the future.

Adam saw the work of the Lentil as Anything cafe in Melbourne and Sydney in Australia whilst travelling, and based their project on this, on a ‘pay as you feel’ basis.

He said: “We realised that the edible food waste wasn’t being directed to those that needed it the most for various reasons, and so we created TRJFP.

“It is important to allow future generations to live in a sustainable environment that coincide with the flora and fauna of this planet.

When we asked Adam what he would say to someone who was not convinced or had never though about the impact of the Western world’s food waste, he said: “Go travelling. See the world. Witness firsthand the indirect impact that poor waste management has on the environment and the natural world.

“Look into the eyes of starving, malnourished children and explain to them why you throw away tons of edible food per year because of ‘company policy’.”

“The Real Junk Food Project doesn’t want to be here in 20 years’ time tackling the same problems and issues, it would see itself as a failure if that happens.

“ We understand there will always be food waste, but it needs to be handled more sensibly and diverted to allow both human and livestock consumption.

“Too much power is given to corporations and edible food waste isn’t allowed to be directed to those that need it the most. We also lack an education and understanding of food waste management, food sourcing, food production and catering within everyday society.”

Sue said: We live in a throw away society. People years ago made use of everything because they could afford less; today we have proportionately more disposable income and this is having a huge impact on the planet as we direct more and more to landfill.

“Businesses have a responsibility not only to try to reduce their own impact, but to educate and persuade their customers and supply chain too.

“Whether you are a business or a resident, sending YOUR rubbish to landfill costs money – something like £90 a tonne. That’s your money, as a Council taxpayer. Wouldn’t you rather we spent it on something else? Like schools, housing, roads and looking after the environment?

“We are about to start a multi million pound redevelopment at Kirkgate Market which will be fantastic when completed – but means my main concern right now is to protect the businesses whose livelihoods depend on keeping customers coming in.”

The market is currently expanding to work with Jamie’s Ministry of Food which has been based at Kirkgate Market for a number of years now and educates people in how to shop and cook healthily and sustainably.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Clare Burnett .