Aldenham recycling charity praised

8:56am Wednesday 11th June 2008

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An Aldenham-based charity has been praised for its recycling efforts, winning first prize at a national awards ceremony last week.

Hare Krishna Food For All, based at Bhaktivedanta Manor, in Hilfield Lane, was presented with the trophy for project of the year at the Novelis Community Recycling Project awards, on Thursday last week. The charity provides food for disadvantaged people across north London by using rejected food from supermarkets. It also offers counselling and other support services from a centre in Kings Cross. Judges from Novelis, the largest recycler of aluminium drink cans in Europe, were impressed by how the charity was collecting and distributing fresh food, which would otherwise be thrown away. Peter O'Grady, director of the charity, said: "The food business wastes so much. Millions of tons of good food is wasted every year in the UK and ends up in landfills. "Often tons of packaged food is thrown away for relatively minor reasons. For example, over-produced products and items with incorrect packaging." Last week alone the organisation collected six tons of new organic muesli, which had been refused by supermarkets because non-organic apricots were included in the product. The cereal was then distributed to the homeless. Mr O'Grady added: "It is so ironic that so many people in this world are starving, yet in western countries we have stockpiles that are simply wasted. "In the words of Mahatma Gandhi there is plenty in this world for everyone's need, but not for everyone's greed." The charity's food, which is all vegetarian, is cooked and prepared at the manor and at a centre in Soho. Food is also distributed in Belfast, Birmingham, Dublin, Newcastle and Wales. The ceremony took place at the Jurys Hotel in central London and was attended by groups from across Britain which had been recognised for being pro-active in recycling. For more information about the organisation email foodforalluk@aol.com.