Yume, an online marketplace for high quality surplus food, has teamed up with SUEZ to offer food manufacturers an option to get a financial return on surplus products.
According to Yume Founder Katy Barfield, the partnership has resulted in the sale of 450,285 kilograms of surplus food, which has returned almost $700,000 to involved businesses.
“Several multinational companies who are also SUEZ customers have now listed high quality surplus food on Yume, and we are working with them to ensure those products find a new avenue to market and are consumed as intended,” she said.
“These companies join our network of over 500 food manufacturers, wholesalers and importers that list and sell quality stock through our online marketplace.”
Barfield said that by using their technology to offer a market for surplus food, the partnership is seeing powerful results.
“This is an innovative partnership in the fight against commercial food waste, we are looking to prevent 4.1 million tonnes of surplus food from going to waste in Australia every year,” she said.
“In 2016-17, a massive 55 per cent of food waste was associated with Primary Production, Manufacturing and Wholesale sectors.
“This food, produced by Australian farmers and manufacturers, is wasted even before it reaches supermarkets, restaurants or homes.”
Chief Customer Officer at SUEZ Australia & New Zealand Justin Frank said the company is committed to working with customers to ensure as much waste as possible is recovered, recycled and treated.
“The benefits of the partnership assist SUEZ’s customers in reducing waste and achieving greater sustainability,” he said.
“Our partnership with Yume aligns with SUEZ’s commitment to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals – SDG 12 – by promoting responsible production and consumption.”
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