Healthy Kimberley’s Food Recovery Depot has managed to re-direct 2,000 pounds of food since their soft launch in mid-November.
Food Recovery Coordinator Kandice Mueller says that all of the recovered food is from Save-On-Foods in Kimberley, and the depot is looking at possibly expanding its reach to other businesses and people.
READ MORE: Food Waste Recovery Depot celebrates soft launch in Kimberley
“Roughly five per cent of what we are receiving is going to waste, so 95 per cent is either being used or sent to compost,” Mueller said. “It’s a pretty amazing quantity, definitely more than we expected. It’s actually overwhelming to be bringing in so much food.”
She says they may open their reach up to the public, or to local farmers who desire compost for animal feed, in order to help move food faster.
“All of the compost is currently being diverted to Cominco Gardens, however we are delivering quite a bit to them right now,” Mueller said, stating that on Monday alone they brought Cominco 200 lbs of compost.
“So far we’ve brought 900 pounds to the food bank and almost all of it is being used, so that is a great partnership,” she said.
The food recovery depot is currently open Monday, Tuesday and Thursdays while they sort out the kinks before their official launch in the new year. They are located at the bottom of the Kimberley Health Centre, close to the Loan Cupboard.
The depot accepts primarily perishable food items such as fruits, vegetables, meat and dairy, and all of it is inspected, sorted and stored following food safety regulations.
If you are interested in volunteering, donating or receiving food through the Healthy Kimberley Food Recovery Program, give Mueller a call at 250.255.6494 or email her at healthykimberleyfrd@gmail.com.
corey.bullock@kimberleybulletin.com
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