Resourceful Chef
Type of practice Reduce
Name of practice Resourceful Chef
Name of main actor ICA Malmborgs Tuna, Sweden
Type of actor(s) Company
Location Sweden
Stage of implementation Retail
Year of implementation 2007
What was/is being done? In the fall of 2007 “Resurskocken” (the Resourceful Chef) was introduced at supermarket ICA Malmborgs Tuna as a first step to reduce food waste in the daily handling of groceries. The Resourceful Chef started transforming discolored fruits, wrinkly vegetables and goods approaching their expiration dates into savory and price worthy lunches. The duty of the Resourceful Chef (rather, chefs) is to each day assess the quality of the food which is removed from the shelves or at risk of expiring. The groceries are collected and cooked on their expiration dates. Meals do not solely consist of groceries or goods that otherwise might have gone to waste but the motto is to take what is available at the moment. Customers can purchase hot food directly from the store, cooked from scratch with no additives and the proper ingredients. And everything is sold at a cheap price, the concept is based on "nothing goes to waste".
Outcomes and impacts Since 2007 the store has reduced its food waste by 80 percent and sells 350 hot lunches a day. The project has also led to a change in attitude among staff members, orders are no longer overdone and knowledge about recycling has increased. The philosophy is now prevalent in all six of Malmborgs grocery stores in the Malmö – Lund area. Fruit and vegetables are bought from local cultivators. The meat sold at Malmborgs stores originates from a local farm and only needs to be transported 50 kilometers.
Source(s) http://www.malmborgs.se/tuna/resurskocken/
