Denmark-based WeFood supermarket is the world’s first to sell expired and unwanted food

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Denmark's WeFood Store Is The World's First To Sell Expired Food-3

Posted By: Sukanya Mukherjee March 4, 2016

Following the French government’s decision to prohibit supermarkets from throwing away unsold food, Denmark has recently launched WeFood, a Copenhagen-based store that sells rejected or discarded products. Intended to help reduce food wastage, the unique shop is the world’s first to vend household items, cosmetics and food that are unwanted or nearing expiration at remarkably low prices.

By obtaining goods that would otherwise be thrown out by supermarkets and other stores, WeFood can reduce the prices by 30 to 50 percent. Although safe to use and consume, most of the products sold by WeFood are actually rejected by bigger chains for being mislabelled or having damaged packaging. Items that are about to perish are also available for purchase.

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The store is jointly run by Denmark-based non-profit organization fødevareBanken and DanChurchAid, a religious NGO that fights poverty and hunger. As Nikolaj Søndergaard, a representative of DanChurchAid, points out, profits from the WeFood initiative will be used to sponsor the organization’s work in developing countries across the world.

The store, which opened in February this year, serves as a countermeasure against the fast-growing problem of food wastage in a country where 700,000 metric tons of edibles are thrown out every year. Speaking about the initiative, Per Pjerre of DanChurchAid said:

WeFood is the first supermarket of its kind in Denmark… not just aimed at low-income shoppers but anyone who is concerned about the amount of food waste produced in this country. Many people see this as a positive and politically correct way to approach the issue.

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WeFood is one of several measures taken by nations around the globe to combat food wastage. To reduce its food waste by 20-percent in the coming 4 years, UK’s Marks & Spencer has announced plans to donate groceries that are nearing expiration to people in need. If WeFood proves to be a success, the company will likely open similar stores in different parts of Denmark.

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To learn more about WeFood, head over to its official website or Facebook page.

Via: Huffington Post

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