Try an 'imperfect produce' service

A large amount of produce is regularly thrown away simply because they don’t look like the ideal specimen. Fruit and vegetables may be wonky, too big or small, or even just too numerous to all be sent to grocery stores. But they’re perfectly good to eat—it’s not like their looks matter once they’re chewed up and in our stomachs. More and more people are turning to ‘Imperfect produce’ services, delivering this ‘ugly’ or excess produce at a fraction of its usual cost.

Why does saving produce matter for climate change? When food rots in landfills, it releases methane and other greenhouse gases, accounting for 8–10% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Putting imperfect produce to good use means that less food ends up in landfills and less water, fertilizer, and fuel are wasted.

The work of rescuing this produce has been taken up by companies that partner with farmers, wholesalers, and food brands to collect and sort food that might otherwise go to waste. Their subscription boxes bring fruit and veg that’s fresh, tasty, and often cheaper than grocery store prices right to your door. By using these services, you can save money and time while helping to reduce emissions from food waste.

I use the service Oddbox. Each week, I customize my box to exclude anything I really don’t want. Besides the sheer convenience of getting fresh, cheap groceries picked and delivered to my house, I love discovering what I’ve received. Sometimes it means trying an item or recipe I wouldn’t usually go for. I never ate beets until I got them in my Oddbox once, and now the beetroot-chorizo risotto I made in an effort to use them up has become one of my go-to dinners.

‘Too small, too much, too odd’: An example of the ‘imperfect’ produce available for delivery this week | Source: Oddbox

Oddbox is UK-based, but many similar services exist around the United States.

• Imperfect Foods brings rescued or surplus groceries in almost every category (fruit, veg, meat, dairy, pantry staples) to most major US cities and suburbs.
• Misfits Market brings produce and pantry items to most of the contiguous US, specialising in organic food.
• Hungry Harvestbrings produce and groceries to the East Coast, Midwest and parts of the South, while donating to fight hunger.
• Perfectly Imperfect Producedelivers fruit and veg from local farms in the Midwest.

These are just a few of the imperfect produce companies working to reduce food waste—many local farms offer their own service. These subscriptions usually let you customize which fruits, veggies, and other groceries you want each round, and many offer starting discounts. Try it out by picking one of the above or exploring what’s available in your local area.