In Australia, a unique initiative is turning low-grade blueberries into a non-alcoholic wine, thereby reducing landfill waste and supporting the homeless. The initiative, named Conscious Drink, is a collaboration between food charity OzHarvest and one of the nation's largest blueberry co-operatives. This partnership sees Oz Group, a farmer-owned cooperative, donating 40 kilograms of second-grade blueberries weekly to OzHarvest. The collaboration, which began when OzHarvest approached Oz Group for fruit donations, has evolved to explore sustainable uses for these berries, leading to the creation of a zero-alcohol beverage.
The beverage, developed with input from Indigenous-owned bushfoods company Kakadu Kitchen, incorporates native ingredients such as lemongrass, saltbush, and pepperberry, aligning with sustainability and ethical harvesting principles.
Louise Tran, general manager of OzHarvest Ventures, highlighted that the project supports OzHarvest's mission to deliver more meals to those in need. Meanwhile, Oz Group has been addressing the issue of waste management, with commercial development manager Shaun Tholen revealing an annual expenditure exceeding $255,000 on waste removal fees for substandard blueberries prior to 2021. The cooperative's efforts in processing B-grade fruit, including snap-freezing and puréeing, have not only mitigated waste but also generated a marginal profit.
Source: abc.net.au