In 2011, Ben Simon was a student at the University of Maryland. While there, he and a few friends noticed a LOT of food going to waste in the school's cafeteria.
Looking into it, they found that a staggering 22 million pounds of edible food was thrown away every year on college campuses.
So, they founded the Food Recovery Network, a non-profit organization dedicated to reducing food waste on college campuses. The organization now operates on more than 180 campuses nationwide.
Fast forward a few years, when Ben met up with Ben Chesler and Ron Clark, who had the same passion for reducing food waste.
Here's why they're passionate about it.
- 20% of the fruits and veggies grown in the U.S. never make it off the farm because it's not 'pretty' enough to be in the grocery store. The vast majority of this 'ugly' produce is perfectly fine to eat, just ugly.
- As a result, more than than 6 BILLION pounds of food a year go to waste simply because it's ugly!
So, the three decided to start a company that would provide this 'ugly' but edible produce direct to customers, at 30-50% off what you'd pay for the 'pretty' stuff in the grocery store.
The result? Imperfect Produce.
Follow them on Facebook
Twitter @imperfectfruit
Instagram @imperfectproduce
Listen to Bill's story about Imperfect Produce.