Eco-Delights: Tackling Food Waste with Upcycled Snacks

Food waste is a global issue, casting a shadow over the reality that millions go unfed, while enormous quantities of food end up in landfills. The World Food Programme highlights a startling fact: almost one-third of food produced for human consumption is wasted annually, amounting to more than 1 billion tonnes. To address this, we’ve spotlighted few innovative upcycled snacks from brands on a mission to combat food waste. These brands creatively repurpose high-quality fruits and vegetables, rejected for their aesthetics, which would have ended up in landfill waste for no reason, into creative, upcycled treats.

I AM GROUNDED

Upcycling Coffee Fruit Waste - Snack Bars

I Am Grounded is a health and wellness social enterprise from Australia, founded by Lachlan Powell and Vanessa Murillo, focusing on upcycling coffee fruits into nutritious coffee fruit energy snack bars. This purpose-driven brand is tackling the issue of coffee waste, which, if left untreated, eventually rots and contaminates local rivers. I Am Grounded addresses environmental concerns by saving the coffee fruit waste from landfills, and aims to give back to coffee-growing communities. With initiatives in Colombia and Australia, they strive to empower farmers, contributing to a more sustainable environment. They claim to have upcycled more than 15,000 kilos of coffee fruit waste from Colombia, significantly reducing CO2 emissions. I Am Grounded stands out as an innovative brand offering eco-solutions to combat waste and empower local communities.

(Image credit: I Am Grounded - Upcycled Snack Bars)

BREWER'S

Upcycling Spent Grains - Crackers & Chips

Brewer's is an upcycling snack brand based in Boston, founded by Kyle Fiasconaro, who brought his culinary expertise from working as a chef to battle against food waste. This innovative company is on a mission to tackle the problem of food waste within the brewing industry, which sees billions of tons of quality spent grains discarded after the brewing process. Brewer's transforms these spent grains into delicious, sustainable crackers and chips, offering a tasty solution to reduce waste. Brewer's provides a unique snack option by upcycling these grains, contributing to a more sustainable food system.

(Image credit: Brewer's - Upcycled Grain Crackers)

BARNANA 

Upcycling Banana and Plantain - Chips

Barnana is a certified organic brand upcycling snack brand based in the U.S. It was founded by Caue Suplicy, with a mission to transform wasted, yet perfect, bananas and plantains into organic chips and snacks. The inspiration for Barnana came from the founders visit to Latin American farms, where he witnessed the vast amounts of banana waste due to being deemed unsuitable for the market just because they were unlikely to endure the shipping journey. In response, Barnana was founded, offering sweet and salty snacks made from upcycling bananas and plantain that would otherwise end up in landfills. The brand partners with farms to ensure fair wages while promoting environmental sustainability and social responsibility.

(Image credit: Barnana Upcycled Chips)

GUSTO 

Upcycling Rejected Fruits - Crisps

Gusto is an upcycling brand based in London and founded by Guiseppe Baidoo and Claudio Owuso, with a mission to combat food waste in the UK by transforming rejected fruits into delicious snacks. Focusing primarily on air-dried apple crisps, the brand also incorporates other fruits like mangoes and passion fruits, enhancing their offerings with added fruit flavors. Gusto snacks rescues quality fruits that are often discarded solely for their aesthetic imperfections, such as colour and shape, challenging the norms of cosmetic appearances in the food industry. Under the mantra "Waste Less. Snack More. Do Good.", the brand crafts air-dried crisps from these edible fruits, presenting a sustainable and tasty snacking alternative that contributes to reducing food waste.

(Image credit: Gusto Upcycled Crisps)

CONFETTI SNACKS

Upcycling 'Ugly' Veggies - Chips

Confetti is an upcycled snacks brand that has taken a stand against food waste by turning "ugly" vegetables into delicious, nutrient-rich snacks. Originating in Singapore before expanding into the U.S. market, Confetti focuses on upcycling to save resources from ending up in landfills. With a strong humanitarian mission they donate their healthy snacks to underserved communities worldwide, aiming to combat hunger and malnutrition in partnership with global humanitarian efforts. Confetti supports the United Nations World Food Programme, reinforcing their commitment to making an impact on global food security, all the while promoting sustainability.

(Image credits: Confetti Upcycled Veggie Chips)

These inventive upcycled snacks are a step towards rethinking our approach to food waste. By salvaging fruits and vegetables destined for landfills and turning them into nutritious, eco-friendly products, these brands are leading the charge against food waste. This movement around saving food, sparks a change in how we value our resources and move towards a sustainable future.