Green Food Bank
Project: The Food Funeral
Inciting action against food waste
China accounts for a staggering one-third of global food waste – around 135 million tons each year. Despite various public education initiatives, food wastage remains a problem.
01The challenge
Past public service campaigns on the issue have focused on saving money, resources and the environment, lacking emotional resonance.
02The solution
Welcome to the world’s first Food Funeral, where we pay homage to food that perish uneaten every day. With avant-garde artist Xia Cheng An, we reimagined traditional Chinese funeral culture, including crafting cyber tombstones in honor of perished food.
An emotional response rooted in tradition
The Food Funeral allowed us to mourn the food that has been needlessly wasted, bringing attention to the tragedy of food waste. An immersive and emotional experience, visitors walking through the funeral site saw everyday food items memorialized with dignity, evoking a new appreciation for the food we often take for granted and inspiring us to never waste again.
Through this immersive journey, we amplified the despair felt by food in its final moments, compelling us to confront the urgent need to end food waste. The event provided an opportunity for people to purchase nearly expired food that individuals had generously donated.
03The impact
The biggest monthly collection in almost a decade
Following the funeral event, the public overwhelmed the Food Bank with a staggering 105,500 kilograms of CO2 emissions. More brands and organizations have joined in our initiative by integrating food donations into their employee engagement efforts. A farm outside Shanghai pledged its extra produce to our cause on a monthly basis and a TV show by Shanghai TV dedicated an episode to our efforts to raise awareness of food wastage in our everyday lives. This is a long-term collaboration, with additional results to come.
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