Urban Greening for Surrey Nature Recovery
We are piloting green-blue infrastructure engagement in Guildford under the Local Nature Recovery Strategy
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£29,000
of food provided to Guildford residents! *
11.5 tonnes of food
saved from going to waste
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31 tonnes of CO2e
avoided to tackle climate change
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4,107 visits
who came for a wide variety of reasons, some just to be social!
It's Just Common Sense!
A community fridge saves perfectly good food which is nearing the end of its supermarket shelf life, and distributes it to the community, helping to reduce the amount of food being wasted. The food is still in date (and usually delicious) and we think it's nuts that supermarkets would throw it out - so we're tackling the issue head on.​​
It's About Waste Reduction
The ZERO Community Fridge's primary goal is to reduce food waste. Although it provides extra support to some resident's it is not a foodbank​
​Everyone Is Welcome
Because it's about waste, the ZERO Fridge is open to all! We always have plenty of food, so please help us stop it going to waste.
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And it's Free
There are no Membership charges or fees for food from the Community Fridge - though we welcome donations to help us cover costs.
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Just Pick A Number
The first hour of opening on Tuesday & Thursdays is usually very busy! So we operate a random lottery number queuing system at 10.30 to make sure the food is given out in a fair way. After 11.30, the food can be taken on a drop-in basis.​
1.
What food do you normally have?
Food donations will change from day to day, depending on what food is surplus at local partner supermarkets and other retailers.
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Is the food in date?
Yes, the food is nearing the end of its supermarket shelf life. Nothing which has past its 'Use By' date is redistributed to the public. It's perfectly safe to eat - and tasty! The team will usually be able to tell you whether something can be frozen for future use.
2.
​How do I know the food is safe to eat?
We will check the food, monitor the temperature and clean the Fridge regularly. ZERO is a Guildford Borough Council registered food business, with a 5/5 hygiene rating.
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3.
4.
I have allergies - can I use the Fridge?
The food arrives to us packed in crates, and may often have been stored with something containing allergens, We therefore can't guarantee that no cross-contamination will have taken place, and whilst you are still welcome to use the Fridge, you do so at your own risk. Zero Carbon Guildford assumes no liability for an allergic reaction to food redistributed by the Charity.​
​What Partners Does The ZERO Community Fridge Have?
We're a member of the Community Fridge Network, which has over 250 Community Fridges. We work with a number of partners locally and nationally. To see our partners, and find out how you can support us, see our 'Supporters & Sponsors' section.
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5.
Can I volunteer at the Community Fridge?
Yes please! As a charity, ZERO relies heavily on the generosity of volunteers - and as payback, volunteering is well known to increase wellbeing and sense of satisfaction! Fridge roles include collecting from our partners, sorting and weighing food, digital and comms support and more. Sign up on our volunteer page and we'll be in touch to discuss your options!
6.
7.
​Where do I go if I am in need of food urgently?
If you are struggling to feed yourself or your family it’s your right to take advantage of financial support. Have a look at the financial relief options available via your local authority. If you live in Surrey, click here.
8.
​What if I don't live in the town centre?
There are other Community Fridges in Guildford:
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The Hive, Park Barn - See more details here
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St Francis, Westborough, GU2 8BU - M,T,T,S from 9.30am, Sunday from 11.3o - contact
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St Mary's Parish Pantry, GU2 8BP - contact
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Stoke Community Pantry, St Peter's GU1 1NP - more details here
ZERO Community Fridge Opening
168 High Street, GU1 3HW
what3words: paint.nets.attend​
ZERO is our town centre premises, located at the top of Guildford High Street, just a couple of doors up from Holy Trinity Church.
Formal Sessions
We run 2 main sessions per week, when our volunteers collect from up to 7 supermarkets. So these sessions are when we have the most food!
​Tuesday: 10:30 - 11:30
Thursday: 10:30 - 11:30
Drop In Sessions
We also make collections on a sporadic basis, so if you're in town pop into ZERO and we might have anything from fruit & veg to delicious pastries to random household goods!
​Tuesday: 11:30 - 16:00
Wednesday: 10:30 - 16:00
Thursday: 11:30 - 16:00
Friday: 10:30 - 16:00
Saturday: 10:30 - 16:00
Funding
The ZERO Community Fridge is proud to be part of the national Community Fridge Network. We have received funding via Hubbub, Co-Op, and received a donation from Waitrose towards our actual physical fridge. We have joined the food partner schemes, Fareshare and Neighbourly.
Food
Our food surplus redistribution is also made possible thanks to the great support of a number of local retailers! We collect from multiple partners, to prevent it being wasted. Ultimately, laws need to change to ensure that retailer aesthetic and stock policies change to prevent food waste at source, so we aim to also engage with those we partner with in preventing unnecessary waste.
We collect from the Guildford-based partners listed on this page.
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M&S
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​Sainsburys
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Co-op
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Aldi
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Waitrose
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Gail's
If you'd like to team up with us an support the Community Fridge project then we'd love to chat to you! Please get in touch with julie@zerocarbonguildford.org
Supermarkets in the UK throw away the equivalent of 190 million meals every year. Worse still, less than 10% of this wasted food is donated to people in need.
The Climate Impact
Food waste is a largely avoidable problem, yet unbelievably, if you were to count global food waste as a country, it would be the third largest emitter behind the US and China!
8 - 10% of human-generated greenhouse gas emissions come from this ludicrous issues, whilst simultaneously millions of British residents go hungry.
Around 30% of food is wasted between the production and sale stage, and a large part of this problem is the aesthetic standards implemented by supermarkets which make an assumption that we won’t want slightly deformed or less attractive looking fruit & veg.
The Economic Impact
So community fridges can play a part in tackling climate change, and with 68% of Surrey residents saying action on climate is 'extremely' or 'very' important projects like this offer a great way to get involved or volunteer.
But it’s crucial that community fridges aren't concealing the real problem, and shops need to start addressing their own responsibility toward ensuring a future with food security. We actually import 40% of the food we eat in the UK, which puts us at risk of food insecurity as global drought increases - and this would mean empty supermarket shelves that dwarfed the issue of Covid shortages.
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So wasting 30% of all the food we produce is simply bananas - both in terms of wastage and in us not supporting our local food producers in a way that helps them to thrive.
The Social Impact
Aside from the waste issue, community fridge have a positive social impact.
Guildford is one of the wealthiest areas in the UK - yet we have 2 areas in the highest decile of food poverty in the country, and 2 more areas in the 4th decile. And yet at the same time we collectively throw away 50,000 slices of bread in Guildford every single day! (enough to feed 8000 people 3 times a day).
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The UK’s failure to tackle inequality over the last decade means 4.3 million children in Britain live below the poverty line. Community Fridges are not food banks, but they can play an essential role in saving money for residents during a cost of living crisis.
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They also play a key role in the community. Whilst many visitors to the ZERO fridge come to help prevent waste, we have a large number of regulars who appreciate the opportunity to get out and about and mix with their fellow residents.
Volunteer in Guildford's ZERO Community Fridge
Our fantastic volunteers keep the ZERO Community Fridge running like a well-oiled machine. They're a fun team who deliver results that benefit the Guildford community - and they're always looking for new faces to join in!
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People volunteer for the ZERO Fridge for a wide range of reasons. One of our long-standing Fridge team was a parliamentary candidate in the 2024 General Election, one of them lives in Hindhead but visits his Gran in Guildford, so swings by to volunteer, and two were originally users of the Fridge and decided to offer to help more through formal volunteering.
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It doesn't matter what your motivation is, we'd love to have you!
How You Can Help:
Tuesday and Thursday mornings are the times that would be most helpful to us! There's a range of tasks which you can volunteer to do:
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Collector - pick up food from supermarkets & drop to ZERO (you can claim travel expenses)
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Weighing & sorting - sometimes we get 1/4 of a ton of food! It all needs to be weighed and divvied out so we know what impact we're having
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Distribution - liaise with our visitors and run the random number draw which helps us keep it fair every week
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Cafe - ZERO is bustling during Fridge hours, help run the cafe to serve hot and cold drinks.
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Admin - there are plenty of admin tasks for the Fridge and ZERO generally. Like being organised? Put your skills to good use by helping us with our mounds of admin!
Resources To Help You Reduce Food Waste
There's no point in us reinventing the wheel when there are so many great resources about reducing food waste out there. Below we've included some of our trusted favourites to get you started on reducing food waste at home, so you can help Surrey play its role in combatting this global issue, and join the 68% of fellow residents who rate it extremely or very important to take action on climate change.
15 Minute Online Food Waste Course
This resource has useful videos and downloads, and is a great way to fill 15 minutes to get you started on your food waste journey!
Beginner's Guide To Meal Planning
Meal planning is a key step in managing food waste. This digestible guide will introduce you to the basics, and has planners to download.
Sustainable Summer Picnics
Picnic and barbecue season is upon us! But both can create significant amounts of food waste. Picnics are usually overpacked - and wrapped in plastic! Find out how to picnic in style with this handy guide.
Down The Drain: Hidden 'Drink Waste'
We've all heard about food waste - but did you know £1.4 billion worth of drink goes down the sink in the UK every year? That's 4.6 million tons of avoidable CO2 equivalent emissions!
One Month Food Waste Challenge for Businesses
Cutting food waste isn't just a benefit at home, there's lots you can do at your place of work or school. Download this One Month Challenge to get started, with help on auditing and preventing food waste.
* Calculation made based on Money Magpie's most recent Supermarket Basket Comparison
