Wonky Box is Ramping Up the Rescues

WONKY BOX IS RAMPING UP THE RESCUES

Before we celebrate some exciting updates, we have to start on a serious note. The ‘why’ behind the Wonky.

It’s estimated that one third of all the food we produce globally is lost or wasted. That’s 1.3 billion tonnes of food that never makes it to your fork!* This food loss and waste can happen all the way through the food supply journey - at the farm or the factory, on transport trucks or on tables.  

Not only does this mean perfectly good food isn’t making it to hungry tummies, much of it ends up in landfill where it breaks down into greenhouse gasses responsible for climate change. To offset New Zealand’s yearly carbon emissions produced from food waste, we’d need to take 150,453 cars off the road for a year!**

Since it’s a pretty big ask for us all to say goodbye to our cars for a year, we started thinking about how else we could help. 

For the past few years Wonky Box has focused on reducing food waste right at the farm gate. We’ve made it our mission to celebrate funny-looking and surplus veggies and, together with our caring customers, challenge the unfair produce beauty standards that result in pear-fectly edible veg not being sold. Earlier this year, we even introduced wonky and wonderful fruit boxes for offices in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch (have you heard about Wonky for Work?)

Now, we’re ready to expand our efforts beyond curly capsicums and crooked carrots. We’re setting our sights on pastures anew, looking for more ways to tackle food waste in different areas of the supply chain.

So, without further adieu…

‍Meet the Wonky Pantry

Our virtual shelves are stacked, and the Wonky Pantry is here! The Wonky Pantry is a selection of planet-positive products you can add on to your Wonky Box order when you’re feeling hungry to do a bit more good. We’ve hand-picked each brand and product, to showcase other producers who share our vision for reducing food waste in the New Zealand supply chain, and who have products that need rescuing from lesser outcomes.

We’re also remaining true to our roots (see what we did there!) and will be including more of the seasonal produce items you love, or those that add an extra flavour boost to your Wonky hauls. 

Learn more about some of the possible Pantry rescue reasons here.

‍So, how does the Wonky Pantry work? ‍

Each week, the Wonky Pantry is open for Wonky customers to purchase bonus rescue products to add to their next box order. These products may vary between the North Island and South Island, as we look for opportunities to reduce food miles and support a range of different producers across the country. Your pantry purchases are delivered within your usual Wonky Box, with no extra delivery fees! 

Availability for some items will vary based on your Wonky Box size (it's a bit of a jigsaw fitting extra items into already brimming boxes!). If you reach your weight limit for your box but there's still more you want to try, come back next week and share the pantry love over a couple orders. Just think, it gives you more to look forward to each week!

As we’re working with rescued products, quantities of each pantry item will vary. Some will stick around for a whole month, while others may be more of a ‘grab-it-before-it’s-gone’ limited run. Our aim is to keep the selection fresh so you’re continuously excited.

The golden Pantry principle is to add your items or make any changes before your usual Wonky Box order cut-off, five days before your next delivery.‍

Thank you, Wonkers!‍

We’re forever ‘grape’ful to you, our customers, for believing in the Wonky Box mission and joining the food waste fight in your own kitchens. We can’t wait to bring you more planet-positive goodness with each Wonky Box delivery and together, make an even bigger impact.

Stay Wonky!

Angus & Katie,

Wonky Box Co-Founders

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‍References

‍*New Zealand Food Network

**Love Food Hate Waste New Zealand