Gatis Community Space's Wolves Waste Not project is collecting 2 to 3 tonnes of food every month from major supermarkets in Wolverhampton that would otherwise be thrown away.

The food remains edible despite having damaged packaging or reaching its best before date. Markets are held on Wednesdays and Thursdays at Gatis Community Space, where residents can access food for very low cost or whatever they can afford to donate.

Daily Collections and Community Partnerships

Steve Poultney, Food Project Manager at Gatis, has worked at the organisation for 10 years. He collects from supermarkets daily and works with a variety of organisations across the city to ensure food is used before it spoils.

Steve also collaborates with St Chad and St Mark's Church, which runs a similar food market on Saturdays. He sometimes receives sandwiches during evening collections that must be eaten on the day, and has built contacts with groups across the city who can use them at short notice.

Circular Economy Approach

Gatis operates a 'circular economy' approach to eliminate waste. Any food that cannot be eaten is added to compost heaps, which is then used to grow produce in their gardens.

Wolves Waste Not is part of the council's wider Pocket to Plate food initiative, which helps residents access good food, increase their food knowledge, enhance cooking skills, and reduce food poverty.

Growing Popularity

The twice-weekly markets at Gatis have become increasingly popular, helping 40 to 50 households at each market. Steve said there is no stigma in using good food which would otherwise have gone to waste.

'It's just being savvy and helping the environment while also feeding your family well,' he said. Gatis is looking at holding more pop-up markets around the city.

Council Support

Leader of Wolverhampton City Council, Councillor Stephen Simkins, praised Gatis for the work it is doing. 'It's so great to see a local scheme like this going from strength to strength and giving residents access to food that would otherwise have been thrown away,' he said.

For more information about Gatis Community Space, call 01902 651155 or email gatiscommunityspace@gmail.com.