SUSTAINABLE Crediton’s Community Larder has officially collected food that might have gone to waste more than 1,000 times from Tesco and Tesco Express.

According to the Foodiverse app, which shops and volunteers use to register donations from Tesco, food has been collected more than 1,000 times, equating to over 35,000 meals.

This is nearly 15,000 kilograms of food and relatable to nearly 45,000 kilograms of CO2e saved.

That’s the equivalent of driving 10,000 miles in a small petrol car!

Sustainable Crediton’s Community Larder has been running for nearly three years.

During this time, it has grown so that volunteers now collect food throughout the week from Tesco and Tesco Express, Morrisons, The Green House, and Four Seasons.

It takes a weekly delivery from Fare Share, and all food is held in Crediton Library.

Tackling food waste, the initiative takes good food that can’t be sold and holds it in a “food larder” for anyone to take and use. Often Crediton Library will have other items, such as baby clothes and sometimes sports equipment available.

Volunteer Claire Marchetti said: “It’s a great way to ensure food doesn’t go to waste, and is open to anyone who drops by.

“The food available varies each week, but there’s usually something. We’re entirely run by volunteers and donations, so it’s wonderful to reach such a fantastic milestone. We’re always on the lookout for volunteers or donations to support our running costs.”

The Community Larder is looking to work with Lidl when it opens and is hoping to buy another fridge so that it can take two Fare Share deliveries a week.

If you want to get involved, or find out more, please contact Sustainable Crediton through Facebook or the website: https://sustainablecrediton.org.uk/contact.aspx .