How a community fridge in Flintshire is fighting food waste and feeding families

Once a week, Refurbs Flint welcomes customers to its community fridge near the centre of the North Wales town. The storeroom shelves are packed with fresh food that’s available to anyone who needs it – everything from fruit and vegetables to ham, sausages, tins and other kitchen essentials.

The community fridge takes in twice-weekly deliveries of surplus supermarket food that would otherwise be thrown away. The items can be collected every Wednesday, from 12.30 to 2.30pm.

It’s not only helping people with the cost of living. The community fridge has also been hugely successful in cutting waste and promoting food sustainability. It now has more than 1,000 visits each year, saving five tonnes of food waste and an estimated 12 tonnes of CO₂ emissions – the equivalent of driving an average car 23,000 miles.

Unlike traditional food banks, the community fridge doesn’t ask people to provide proof of their need. Anyone can drop in, pay a small amount and leave with whatever they would like. It supports people across the whole community: families, older people, refugees, and those referred by social services or other organisations.

The charity also runs regular food workshops and cooking classes, including a “Make Food Go Further” session each month. Using ingredients from the community fridge, volunteers demonstrate recipes that people can then try when they go home. 

Project coordinator Jo Prandle says: “We not only want to make food more readily available to those who need it, but also to teach our them about the environmental impact of food waste and how to reduce it. We help and encourage people to budget, to buy only what they need, and to cook for themselves.”

A sustainable model

Initial funding for the project came from the Co-op and the environmental charity Hubbub, allowing Refurbs Flint to buy refrigerators and other essential equipment, and it received support from the Landfill Disposals Tax Communities Scheme. Refurbs Flint also benefits from membership of FareShare Cymru, which redistributes surplus food to charities in Wales.

The community fridge is just one part of Refurbs Flint’s mission. The charity sells used furniture and household goods at its showrooms, saving hundreds of good-quality items from going to waste, and helping people furnish their homes for less.

It also provides valuable training and volunteering opportunities for people facing challenges such as health issues or long-term unemployment.

Feed your imagination

There are currently more than 600 community fridges in the UK – a number that’s continuing to grow.

The Welsh Government is taking bold steps to tackle climate change and make it easier for everyone to make greener choices. One key goal is to cut avoidable food waste in half by 2025 – helping the planet and putting more money in people’s pockets.

What can you do

Check out the Community Fridge Network to find the ones nearest you. For more tips on saving money and making your food go further, visit Wales Recycles.