WEEKEND INSPIRATION | PLAN ZHEROES

Image courtesy of Plan Zheroes 2015.

It is very easy when living in a city like London to forget that access to good food is not a given. Plan Zheroes has developed an innovative approach to address such inequity by using social media to link food businesses and charities. Its goal is to ensure that food surplus is directed to those most in need and in doing so reduce social poverty and unnecessary food waste. 

So how does it work? A business uploads information using the Zheroes app flagging that it has surplus food to donate. Nearby matched charities then receive  an alert that food is available. Volunteers and transporters are then involved in what can only be described as a highly innovative use of design and technology. Over 200 of London's markets, retailers, restaurants and charities are involved. (The app was developed pro bono by Keytree. The charity has also received funding from Garfield Weston Foundation and RSA (Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce). It is also a selected project of The School for Social Entrepreneurs and Lloyds Bank.) 

Plan Zheroes shows how effectively social media can be utilised to drive social change, moving forward on what should be one of our most important social agendas - guaranteed access to food, promotion of community networks, and reduction of food waste. You can learn more about their work here.