Once you have decided to take on a food waste reduction focused initiative in your town, planning is key, as it ensures clear objectives and actionable steps. From raising awareness about the environmental and social impacts of food waste to providing practical solutions your community can implement at home or in local spaces, there is plenty of work to do in creative ways to engage your community and local businesses.
Before you start engaging the wider community it's very important that your team comes together to discuss why this topic is important to you, both personally and as group. Finding your "why" when it comes to reducing food waste is crucial for driving meaningful change.
When people connect with a purpose, such as preserving the environment or supporting those in need, it transforms the task from a simple act to a shared mission. This sense of purpose not only strengthens community ties but also fosters a collective responsibility to make a real difference. According to the EPA, over 750,000 Tonnes of food was wasted in Ireland in 2022, with householders wasting the equivalent of €700 per annum! In the asset library you can find presentations, worksheets and websites to use when researching and trying to stimulate this discussion.
Involving your community from the outset helps ensure that the project you are developing addresses their needs and concerns, making it more likely to succeed. By seeking input through public meetings, surveys and focus groups, you can identify local challenges and opportunities. This early engagement not only empowers individuals but also encourages them to be invested in the project's outcomes, fostering a sense of ownership and collaboration in the effort to reduce food waste.
A first public meeting - a face to face public meeting is important to brainstorm and gather community ambassadors. To organize our first meeting we used local print and social media groups as well as posters to spread the word. We also contacted local community groups by phone and email to make sure they knew about the gathering.
In the Resources section below you will find slides with discussion points and statistics to help you prepare and deliver your first community gathering. Each group and town is different so make sure to discuss what strengths, challenges and opportunities are unique to your town, as well as what expertise and potential for collaboration is available from people in the room.
No community centered food waste reduction project will be complete without engagement from businesses. According to the EPA, food businesses, from farmers and producers to restaurants and hotels, are responsible for approx. 71% of all food waste generated.
This waste is complicated as the reasons are so multifaceted. By consulting with businesses early, you can ensure local businesses feel included and heard and your group can identify strategies which help minimize waste while meeting customer needs. This collaboration fosters a shared commitment to reducing food waste and benefits both businesses and the community.
Gathering business representatives for a first meeting - it is so important to ensure all local food related businesses are in the loop from the beginning. To organize our first meeting we used local print and social media groups as well as posters to spread the word. We also started a simple database in excel to keep track of all business interactions.
We visited in person when possible or made contact by phone or email to make sure they knew about the gathering. In the Resources section here you will find slides with discussion points and statistics to help you prepare and engage with businesses. We had two such meetings, one aimed at Producers and Farmers, and one directed at Retail, Restaurants and Hotels. Each town is different so make sure to discuss the strengths, challenges and opportunities present in your area, as well as what expertise and potential for collaboration is available from people in the room.
Involving all stakeholders in a community project is crucial for its success and impact. In ensuring that the voices of the community are heard and their perspectives respected you can build community ownership and support for the initiative and find locally relevant solutions.
The more stakeholders you can identify and engage with from the outset the better! By including a wide range of stakeholders you will hear diverse views and experiences of food waste, allowing you to anticipate challenges and adapt planned local initiatives accordingly.
Some stakeholders in a community food waste reduction project could be: food businesses, including local farmers, food processors, supermarkets and restaurants, local groups such as Tidy Towns, Macra Na Feirme, Womens’ & Mens’ Shed, and local festival groups, as well as local schools, sports clubs, council, and councillors.
Work together to create a map of stakeholders, using paper, post-it-notes or online, this is best done collaboratively. Here are some steps to get you started:
A good place to start when looking for financial support for your community food waste reduction initiative is the local authority, who run several grants that you may be able to avail of. You can also link into local/national festivals that have funding available (see Asset Library - Funding for examples). We also found community members were happy to pay for interesting workshops and cookery demos.
Many local authorities run an annual Circular Economy/Waste Prevention Grant through their environmental department. This is open to community groups and can be used to run food waste reduction workshops in your town or buy a composter or wormery for your group.
The grants are normally in the region of €1,000 - €2,000. Get in touch with the Environmental Awareness Officer in your local authority for details.
Thinking outside the box we linked in with and funded events through the Lifelong Learning Festival, Biodiversity Week, Culture night, Bike Week and the Clonakilty Guitar Festival. We hosted events like a 'curry recycle', photo exhibition 'the beauty of ugly fruit' and celebrated the biodiversity of Ireland's Apples.
For bigger projects the Community Climate Action Fund (CCAP) is a good option.
The CCAP is administered by each local authority in the country and the fund lists food and waste as a key topic for project funding. Local groups can apply for this funding and the funds range from support for small scale projects requiring less than €20,000, to medium scale projects: €20,000 to €50,000, to large scale projects: €51,000 to €100,000. To learn more speak with the Climate Action Officer in your local authority.
The Community Climate Action Programme: Climate Education, Capacity Building and Learning by Doing (Strand 2) is funded by the Government of Ireland through the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications.
The project is delivered by the environmental NGO, VOICE, with support from locally based informal and formal partners.
VOICE is a member-based environmental Charity established in 1997. We currently focus our attention on waste and water issues. VOICE membership represents people from across Ireland and reflects the growing concern that Irish people have for the quality of their environment.
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