1.2 tonnes of bananas paid-forward

When is an apple not an apple? It’s a trick question, the answer is never. An apple is always an apple, no matter what it looks like. Yet, for some reason “imperfect” produce is often thrown away, adding to the 157,398 tonnes of food New Zealand sends to landfill away every year.

According to our generous business partner, Perfectly Imperfect, “ugly is delicious”! Just because apples (and other fruits and veggies) don’t look perfect doesn’t mean that they don’t taste good or are as nutritious as their better looking peers.

And that’s exactly why they exist - to prevent these tasty and nutritious fruit and veggies from going to waste. Perfectly Imperfect rescues rejected ‘ugly’ produce and packages them ready for sale as mystery boxes because they are still good food. Proceeds from the sales are used to pay-it-forward produce to people in need in the community through their own charitable arm, One World Charitable Trust. 

‍

Thanks to the pay-it-forwards of Perfectly Imperfect’s customers, as well as their own generosity, $520 worth of recovered bananas (1.2 tonnes!) was distributed amongst local Auckland schools this November. That’s a lot of bananas and a lot of students snacking on a healthy treat that would’ve otherwise been wasted.

‍

If you want a lesser produce bill and to help reduce waste, shop at Perfectly Imperfect and add on a little pay-it-forward. Wendy, a Perfectly Imperfect Director, said that $1 can be used to rescue 1 kilogram of food from going to waste, so adding on $1 can make all the difference.

‍

Check out their Generosity HUB to see how much ugly produce has been saved to date through the generosity of people like you.