We recently brought you an overview of a new effort in the food industry to ‘Upcycle’ food that would otherwise be wasted. A great idea but I and others predicted that it would take some time to catch on. No such pessimism on part of the guys who revolutionized the marketing of furniture…
IKEA’s at it again, this time embracing the new movement to Upcycle food that would otherwise be wasted, saving us all significant bucks on our grocery bills, and help the food production and marketing systems save huge swags of cash.
Their initial effort has gone into the creation of a new cookbook designed to teach us all how to upcycle and what to make from upcycled foods.
A great idea!
“In Canada, research tells us that almost two thirds of food scraps that end up as kitchen waste could have been eaten,” said Johanna Andren, Head of Marketing, IKEA Canada. “Seeing how much waste is created in one of the most important rooms in the home, we set out to inspire Canadians by giving food scraps another look and offering new, creative ways to reduce food waste at home.”
As a news release out earlier this week says, “the new IKEA ScrapsBook cookbook, a collaborative project with 10 North American chefs, showcases unique recipes using kitchen scraps. […] Featuring renowned chefs like Adrian Forte, Craig Wong, and Trevor Bird, the IKEA ScrapsBook represents a diverse range of cuisines and cultures.” Each Chef has contributed 5 original recipes to the project.
Members of IKEA Family will have early access to the 50 recipes digitally, and be automatically entered to win a limited edition physical copy of the 214-page book. The full cookbook will be available for anyone to download at its own web page.
IKEA will also launch #Scrapcooking Sundays, a weekly series of live cooking tutorials on Instagram Live hosted by contributing chefs this Spring. To learn more, visit IKEA.ca/Scrapcooking.
IKEA’s own commitment
An estimated 2.2 million tonnes of food is wasted in Canada alone. IKEA Canada wants to actively reduce food waste both at home, but also across its Restaurants and food services. The retailer has already reduced food waste by 31 per cent across its kitchens nationwide and is on its way to achieving a 50 per cent reduction in food waste by the end of this year.
“Food is valuable and precious. We believe that everyone in the food chain has a role to play in preventing and reducing food waste,” said Melissa Barbosa, Sustainability Manager, IKEA Canada. “By providing new solutions and drawing on the passion of our co-workers and customers, we can help tackle Canada’s food waste challenge.”
Good for IKEA
By making its own commitment to reduce food waste, and spreading the word via the Scrapsbook, IKEA has set great example for other mega companies to follow, underlining how we all have to work together to make upcycling successful.
Further details available at the website or at the store.
~ Maggie J.