I was asked to give this presentation after a screening of The Gleaners & I, a wonderful documentary about how the French allow 'pickers' (gleaners) to collect the surplus after harvests. Plan Zheroes was invited by the organisers (Trevor Watson & Neil Thompson) who participated in the orginal knowledge cafe I ran in Lewes two years ago.

1. ZHEROES are… Zero Food Waste Heroes
Making use of surplus food

2. The trigger story:
In 2009 we met Anne, mother of 3 living
in Earls Court.
Unable to pay current food prices.
She had a difficult decision every night:
which of the 3 would have the one hot
meal for the day…
@planzheroes

3. The facts:
Food wasted from Hospitality and Food
Services in the UK is equivalent to 1.3
billion meals
and
at the same time there are nearly 5
million people in the UK living in food
poverty*.
@planzheroes
*source; The Centre for Economics and Business Research

4. The question:
Could surplus food from hospitality
and food services be part of the
solution to fight food poverty and
prevent food waste?
@planzheroes

5. Reality:
surplus food makes good business
sense, and will always exist.
@planzheroes
Food poverty is increasing.

6. Clarity:
surplus food is different from food
waste, but not always differentiated.
@planzheroes

7. Joining the dots
@planzheroes
If given to people who need it, it
solves two problems:
social + environmental
and increases community resilience

8. One day...
We won’t waste g
What is Plan Zheroe
In the UK, there are 4 million people living
sends 1.6million tones of surplus food to la
This is a crazy situation, but it doesn’t have
Plan Zheroes is a citizen-led initiativ
those who need it, so it will never ev
We won’t lie to you, it is a complex p
types of businesses and their divers
We have discovered a way that mak
It’s the Plan Zheroes online map!
Want to see how beautifully simple it
Check it out at www.planzheroes.or
*Stuart, Tristram, 2009, Waste: Uncovering the G
The complexity:
Many types of food businesses
Many types of food
Many types of food receivers
@planzheroes
Short term action
Unpredictable supplies
Health and Safety and other myths
Visibility
Logistics
…Impact

9. @planzheroes
The discovery:

10. That “just need people with willingness to act” is The
Plan:
@planzheroes
Visibility
Match
Time ,
trust and
imagination
Making it happen:
Helping food businesses
find neighbours
Making it easier to match right
donor/recipient
Overcoming barriers…

11. Build links and tell stories
@planzheroesInfographics : Sara Martin

12. Build links and tell stories
@planzheroes

13. The Artichokes Story:
@planzheroes
Collaboration with Sustain/
FoodSave – Borough Market
Weekly Donations
3 bakers and 2 Veg/Fruit
traders
3 charities
…we wondered if she knew how to cook
and eat Artichokes… and secretly
Jacqueline was already wondering if the
young people they help would like it!

14. Masterchef sessions… building relationships:.
Today it was a good day at Look Ahead.
The charity received asparagus, broad
beans, spring onions, kale, broccoli and
"loads" of carrots. With such as a good
variety of produces the choice was obvious:
Risotto Primavera!
And the Artichokes?
We peeled a few, thinly sliced them and
sautéed them with garlic and onions, we
add a bit of water until they were nice and
soft. The par-roasted artichokes looked
delicious on top of our risotto and the guys
loved them.
Overall, great experience in Borough Road!
Ivan
Ps: this could be beginning of a beautiful
friendship.

15. The Artichokes Story:
@planzheroes
Began: June 2014
Week 6: 168kg
Overall: 1.5 tonnes of surplus food prevented from waste!
Social: Community spirit and culinary skills transfer!

16. That “just need people with willingness to act” is The
Plan:
@planzheroes
Making it happen:
The new platform… and what will
be different

17. @planzheroes
New cross channel
platform:

18. That “just need people with willingness to act” is The
Plan:
@planzheroes
Tracing donations

19. How we help organisations:
@planzheroes
Tuesday August 12th 2014
The Old Municipal Market, Circus
Street, Brighton

20. How you can help Plan Zheroes:
@planzheroes
- Tell everyone you know in the
industry this is possible
- Get in touch to discuss a PZ
workshop to help remove
barriers to engage
- Donations, to cover the cost of
managing:
- Volunteer validation &
support,
- Charity validation & support,
- Business validation &
support,
- Facilitation (of ideas &
logistics)

21. And sign a
waiver!
Mind the Map: Spot those Businesses and Charities!
1.
Register
as user
3. Find
receivers
that
match
2.
Create
a
profile
4.
Arrange
collection
@planzheroes

22. Make it simple and fun: remove barriers to adoption
@planzheroes
Barrier 3
Concerns around Health and
Safety can put both donors and
recipients off.
Barrier 5
You need to convince your boss
that Plan Zheroes is a good idea.
Barrier 4
It is hard to arrange convenient
timings to deliver donations.

23. Relationships and Partnerships… examples
@planzheroes
www.planzheroes.org
planzheroes@gmail.com
facebook/planzheroes
@planzheroes
Supported by:
Tackling Food Waste Prevention
A working group of the Hospitality and Foodservice Agreement
British Hospitality Association, London, 17th
April 2013
Time Item Lead
10.00 Welcome and Introductions, review of actions from
previous meeting
Wendy Duncan

24. Thank you!
Questions?
www.planzheroes.org
paul.corney@planzheroes.org
Facebook/planzheroes
@planzheroes