Waste Not Want Not Battersea: Where Food Waste Finds a Second Life

By Sean Choi (11/16/25) — London, UK

A Small Doorway With a Big Mission

Down a quiet corner of Bramlands Close sits a small building that most people overlook as they walk by. Inside, volunteers at Waste Not Want Not Battersea collect food that local supermarkets can no longer sell and sort it for anyone who needs it. Everything is free, and there is no registration process. If the food exists, the goal is simple: it should be eaten, not thrown away.

I decided to visit because sustainability can often feel distant, especially in large cities. We hear the statistics about emissions and food waste, yet it is difficult to visualize what that means day-to-day. At this site, sustainability becomes something you can touch. Volunteers carry crates of bread and vegetables, quickly organizing everything before it spoils. Seeing this up close completely changed the way I think about environmental action. Every apple or loaf of bread that is rescued represents resources that are not wasted.

A Conversation With a Volunteer

During my visit, I got the chance to speak with a volunteer coordinator, Oliver. When I asked what surprised them the most when they first joined, their answer was simple: most wasted food is perfectly fine. Many supermarkets dispose of food simply because of damaged packaging, new product designs, or sell-by labeling rules.

Oliver told me that the job often feels like correcting a logistical mistake rather than responding to a shortage. “It’s not that people don’t need food,” he said, “it’s that the system doesn’t move fast enough to get it to them.” That insight shifted the way I understood food waste. The problem is not that society lacks food. The real issue is that the system moves too slowly to redirect food before it becomes trash.

Sharing Food Without Shame

One of the most memorable parts of the visit was the atmosphere in the room. People arrived casually, talked to volunteers, picked up fruit or vegetables, and left with normal shopping bags. It didn’t feel like a charity line. Instead, it felt like a community grocery stop. Most residents learn about the program through local word of mouth, neighborhood WhatsApp groups, or posters at nearby churches and cafés. There is no strict limit on how much each person can take, but volunteers remind everyone to be considerate and leave enough for others. Oliver explained that the team uses the word “sharing” rather than “assistance” when they refer to their work. The goal is dignity. Anyone can come. Anyone is welcome. By removing barriers and paperwork, the project takes away the shame that sometimes surrounds food insecurity.

A Community Model Worth Spreading

Living in Battersea, I have noticed how quickly the neighborhood is changing. New restaurants and luxury flats continue to appear, but there are still families who worry about the cost of groceries. Waste Not Want Not Battersea offers a model that connects environmental sustainability with community care. Supermarkets reduce waste, emissions decrease, and residents gain access to food they can use. It is a practical, local solution that any city could copy. The system works because it is simple. Volunteers collect food. Neighbors pick it up. Nothing goes to the landfill.

Before visiting, I thought sustainability was mainly about new technology or policy. After spending time at Waste Not Want Not Battersea, I realized that small, consistent actions can be just as powerful. This project proves that sustainability is not only about carbon numbers. It is also about community. Now, it feels meaningful to see sustainability happening on the street where I live, and not just in theory.

References

Waste Not Want Not Battersea. “About Us.” Waste Not Want Not Battersea, 2025. https://www.wastenotwantnot-battersea.org/blog