Australian meal kit delivery service, HelloFresh, announced a $200,000 donation to Australia’s leading food rescue organisation, OzHarvest, to help feed people in need and reduce food waste this Christmas.
The funds will help OzHarvest’s food rescue operations where for every $1 donated, two meals are provided to people in need. As a result, 400,000 meals will be provided to vulnerable Australians, at a time where demand for food relief is higher than ever.
The donation contributes to vital funding for OzHarvest, allowing the organisation to support its existing everyday operations. It will also help save 200,000 kilograms of food destined for landfill and prevent 1,320,000 kilograms of greenhouse emissions through avoiding food waste.
“We’ve long admired the work of OzHarvest in leading Australia’s fight against food waste – a national problem that only increases at Christmas time,” said HelloFresh Australia CEO, Tom Rutledge.
“At HelloFresh, we’re committed to reducing food waste, and partnering with incredible organisations like OzHarvest is a crucial step towards achieving this, and making sure food makes it to those who need it most.
“This year, we’ve been very pleased by the generosity of our customers, who have rallied together to raise this significant, community-led contribution. As always, we’re very proud to partner with OzHarvest and recognise their tremendous work in rescuing food and delivering meals to people in need, especially at this time of the year.”
In 2021, HelloFresh became the first meal-kit delivery service to allow its customers to donate to OzHarvest within the app, via an add-on function built into the weekly menu. Since the launch of the donation function, HelloFresh customers in Australia have raised $90,000, with the company committing an additional $110,000 to be donated to OzHarvest.
OzHarvest founder and CEO, Ronni Kahn AO said food insecurity is an ongoing issue in Australia.
“There are still so many families struggling to put food on the table and Christmas is always an extremely challenging time of year.,” he said.
“We’re working hard to get good food to those who need it most, by supporting 1,600 charities across Australia. We can only do this thanks to the wonderful support from supporters like HelloFresh and the generosity of their customers who have raised valuable funds to help Nourish our Country.”
In addition to supporting organisations like OzHarvest, HelloFresh is committed to sustainability and reducing food waste, which make up a fundamental component of the company’s operations. The meal-kit leader’s sourcing, packaging and delivery operations generate less food waste than traditional food retailers, while customers who prepare HelloFresh meals at home discard less food while cooking and serving.
Moreover, in 2020 HelloFresh became the first global carbon neutral meal kit company, and has also committed to meeting the APCO 2025 National Packaging Targets across ANZ. This latest contribution is in line with the company’s active responsibilities in the community and environmentally friendly practices, as it strives to become a more sustainable company.