My partner and I recently took out a subscription to OddBox – a fruit and veg food delivery service with a difference!
The problem
Mindful that approximately 30% of global food production is thrown away or wasted, OddBox works directly with supermarket suppliers and growers in the UK (generally in the south-east of England, but occasionally further afield and also overseas) to provide a box of 'wonky' produce that would be otherwise discarded due to surplus or rejected because of appearance.
The wonky veg revolution
With each delivery you receive a detailed explanation of the produce, where it comes from, why it was not wanted and some helpful recipe ideas to get your taste buds tingling.
On rare occasions we've had a few items, such as grapes and cucumbers, that do unfortunately come in plastic packaging – OddBox are aware of the issues surrounding this, they try to keep this to an absolute minimum, but also that food waste, production costs, energy use etc are also important factors, if the alternative is the product being thrown away.
Some items are organic, but again, not all items – OddBox are aware of the issues and working towards offering a fully organic box in the future. Quite often, extra fruit or veg items are thrown into the box in addition at no extra cost, which is a nice surprise when you open the box up!
Give it a go
I've found both the service and fresh produce excellent. It's also good value for money, so it's win-win all round. It's just over £10 for a small box, which is delivered weekly or fortnightly and this contains six or seven types of veg and three fruits – other sizes and options are available.
I see it as a convenient and ethical alternative to having an allotment, while helping on an individual basis towards the wider problems of food and packaging waste.
Find out more: oddbox.co.uk
James
Community Champion
