Countdown has teamed up with food waste startup Rescued to stock a new range of upcycled products at selected Auckland stores.
The startup uses leftover bread collected from Countdown’s bakeries and turns it into easy-to-make vanilla, lemon & gin botanicals, chocolate, and savoury baking mixes.
Diane Stanbra, founder of Rescued, described it as a “massive milestone” to have the company’s products stocked at Countdown stores.
“When we first began our journey to tackle food waste in Aotearoa through upcycling and one of our biggest goals was to be selling our products in the same place we’re rescuing from.”
Steve Mills, Countdown’s commercial director of packaged goods, said the retailer prioritises avoiding creating food waste in the first place.
“The nature of fresh food and serving over 3 million customers a week means that some level of waste is inevitable. To make sure as little as possible is ending up in landfill, we have a policy of donating food that’s still fit for consumption, but can’t be sold.”
The upcycled products are now available at four Countdown Auckland stores: Mt Eden, St Johns, Manukau and Ponsonby.
- Further reading: Countdown backs New Zealand’s first Zero Food Waste Challenge
