Ever since starting school this past semester, as a Junior in college who lives off campus, I’ve been struck with the new obstacle of cooking for myself. Not only do I have to cook for myself, I also have to clean, shop for groceries, and do many other household chores on a daily basis that I didn’t necessarily have to think about and do myself while living at home or in the dorms. One thing that is so important to me is environmental conscientiousness. I try to incorporate this into everything I do, including recycling and being cautious about my waste output and water usage.
I was thinking about groceries and how I could uphold my environmentally friendly desires and realized that I could start a subscription to a produce delivery program. I did some research and settled on Imperfect Foods. I read up on their mission, which is to: “eliminate food waste and build a better food system for everyone. If food can be saved, we will save it. With every bite into a misshapen apple, short piece of pasta, an oversized egg we can shape our world for the better. We’re hungry for change and eager to reduce waste on the farm, at the store, and in the home” (https://www.imperfectfoods.com/our-mission). They very clearly state that their ultimate goal is to reduce food waste. This is such an easy thing to do, all they need is people like me, who don’t really care if they get an “ugly apple” or an egg that’s “too big” to incorporate into daily meals. After deciding that this was the right program for me I activated an account and determined my preferences. Imperfect Foods have saved 139 million pounds of produce and food items since starting up. They have partnered with 100 other organizations, have recycled 314,000 boxes, and delivered 429,000 boxes to low income households. Overall, I believe that they are an amazing organization which helps reduce environmental footprints, while recycling and giving back to the community at large.
I choose to get deliveries every other week, since I’m really only cooking for myself. I have had three or four box deliveries so far and I couldn’t be happier with my subscription. Every Friday before the week of delivery, I get an email telling me to choose my preferences. I make my selections and then the next Monday I get a confirmation with a receipt of what items on my list have been confirmed. Sometimes, they aren’t able to deliver everything, but I don’t mind as I love everything that I request and use it more as a supplement to my regular grocery shopping. Imperfect Foods offers such a wide variety of food options ranging from organic to generic fruits, vegetables, dairy, meat, grains, and pasta. On the day of delivery, I get a text message telling me that my box is out and another message when it is dropped off. Because of this it is a 100% Covid-safe service and also has a huge positive environmental impact! I have enjoyed everything that I have ordered from them and will definitely continue to order from them! I highly recommend this service to people and would urge everyone who reads this article to check them out!