Background
- Charity name: OzHarvest
- Charity Location: Australia
- Charity partner since: 2013
- Charity meals donated: 491,656
About the Charity
OzHarvest is Australia’s leading food rescue organisation. It collects quality excess food from commercial outlets and delivers it directly to more than 1,500 charities supporting people in need across the country. The organisation is community-oriented and also runs sustainability training programs and zero-waste events.
Founded in 2004 by Ronni Kahn AO, after noticing the huge volume of good food going to waste in the hospitality industry, she decided there had to be a better way. Starting in Sydney with one van—the first of many donations from the Goodman+ Foundation—she delivered 4,000 meals in the first month.
OzHarvest is Australia’s leading food rescue organisation, collecting quality excess food from commercial outlets and delivering it directly to more than 1,300 charities supporting people in need across the country. They are a community-oriented food rescue organisation that also runs sustainability training programs and zero waste events.
Founded in 2004 by Ronni Kahn AO, after noticing the huge volume of good food going to waste from the hospitality industry, she decided there had to be a better way. Starting in Sydney with one van – the first of many donations from Goodman+ Foundation – she delivered 4,000 meals in the first month.
BioPak is also the official packaging supplier of OzHarvest’s Community Cook-Off, the charity’s flagship fundraiser where business leaders, teams and chefs will come together to cook thousands of meals for some of Australia’s most vulnerable every year in May.
OzHarvest Founder and CEO, Ronni Kahn AO says that the need for food relief has hit an all-time high in the last two years with 1 in 6 Australians being severely food insecure.
“The impact of the bushfires, drought, floods and COVID-19 has seen more people than ever turn to charities for help. We have seen demand for our services increase at a time when our resources are most under pressure. The Community CookOff will bring people together to connect over great food at the same time as raising valuable funds to help keep our wheels turning. If you’re looking for a way to re-engage your team with purpose and fun, this is it!” said Ronni.
Photo credit: Ronni Kahn AO speaks about the BioPak and composting at the CEO Cookoff 2019.
Photo credit: Ronni Kahn AO speaks about the BioPak and composting at the CEO Cookoff 2019.
A Partnership with Purpose
Food waste feeds climate change. Australia’s food waste is more than 7.6 million tonnes each year, while 3.7 million households relied on food relief last year. If food waste were a country, it would be the 3rd largest emitter of greenhouse gases. OzHarvest’s work rescues food from going to waste while feeding those in need. They are truly maximising social impact while minimising environmental impact.
OzHarvest’s “why” speaks to our “why”. Composting is the perfect end-of-life option for both food scraps and foodservice packaging. Compostable packaging acts as a vehicle to curb food waste as leftovers, and the containers can all go in one bin, the organic bin, to be composted industrially. As a result, compostable packaging helps avoid methane emissions (a potent greenhouse gas associated with organics in landfills) while creating a nutrient-rich resource that can be used to improve soil quality.
Ronni Kahn AO emphasised the importance of this partnership: “BioPak is a truly integral part of OzHarvest. We share your commitment to protecting the planet, and thanks to your products, our food is served in 100% compostable containers, which we love!”
BioPak provides OzHarvest with compostable packaging across all of their sites nationally and the various activations and services they provide. We are proud to see that delicious and nutritious food is served in BioPak’s products feeding people in need daily.
BioCrew Volunteers at OzHarvest
Over the yearsthe BioCrew has made its way to the OzHarvest warehouse and help with whatever is required— such as packing food relief hampers and handing out food supplies at the OzHarvest hamper hubs during COVID. This year the BioCrew are volunteering in the kitchen to transform rescued produce into gourmet meals for local charities. Our team members are driven by a genuine belief that we can make a difference. It is important for us to enact the values that we spout.
Find out more about volunteer opportunities here
Cooking for Change: Impactful Events
Our collaboration in 2023 in South Australia underscored the powerful synergy between food rescue and sustainability. BioPak, OzHarvest and Compost Connect put on a Cooking for Change event that not only provided meals for the community but also raised awareness about the critical issue of food waste and composting. The event showcased how surplus food can be transformed into nourishing meals and food scraps can be composted, demonstrating a model of circular economy in action. Every meal served was a testament to the shared values of both organisations—caring for people and the planet.
Another Cooking for Change event was held in Brisbane, where once again BioPak, OzHarvest, Compost Connect and celebrity chef Alastair McLeod teamed up to host a zero-waste cooking event. Together, they prepared a nourishing salad made with rescued ingredients for local charities. The event also featured a closed-loop collaboration, where all organic waste and compostable packaging were collected by Mallow Sustainability to create nutrient-rich compost, promoting sustainable food production.
The Cooking for Change events are based on OzHarvest’s Cooking for a Cause program, which provides a unique team-building activity for companies. Find out more and book your zero-waste cooking experience here.
OzHarvest CEO CookOff
We have also partnered with them on several occasions to run zero-waste events by donating compostable plates, bowls, cups and cutlery which were collected after use and composted at local facilities. By working collaboratively to assess the packaging requirements and plan the waste management logistics, we’ve managed to take the annual OzHarvest CEO CookOff to a plastic-free event where all packaging and food scraps are recycled into nutrient-rich compost. These charity events make an enormous positive contribution to the community and have the power to inspire positive change for the planet.
As OzHarvest Chef Kara Urbanska remarked, “The partnership between OzHarvest and BioPak has made a huge difference in the kitchen… People can see we’re shifting from plastic to compostable, and hopefully, they'll follow along as well. So I think it’s really powerful.”
A Festive Gesture: Christmas with BioCups
The holiday season offers a perfect moment to give back, and since 2022, BioPak and OzHarvest have been doing just that with a special initiative. We've produced co-branded Christmas BioCups designed to spread joy and raise funds. For every cup sold, 5% of the proceeds go directly to OzHarvest, helping to fund their food rescue operations. The cups also feature a QR code encouraging coffee lovers to donate to OzHarvest directly.
BioPak CEO Gary Smith underscores the importance of OzHarvest's role in assisting vulnerable communities. He says, "We are incredibly proud to continue our ongoing partnership and work with OzHarvest. While Christmas is often a joyful occasion, we acknowledge that this time of the year can be incredibly hard for many families and individuals in our community. We hope to deliver as many meals as possible to people during the holiday season and help OzHarvest continue to make a positive impact, both for our planet and for those in need."
“In our so-called ‘lucky’ country, it’s devastating to think that food is often crossed off the list of things families can afford. We see the need in the communities every day and are doing our best to make sure good food gets to those who need it most, but often, there’s just not enough. The simple act of buying your coffee in a BioPak cup will help us feed more people in need this Christmas,” says OzHarvest Founder and Visionary in Residence Ronni Kahn AO.
Unite to Feed Australia: OzHarvest’s 20th Birthday
2024 has been a particularly hard year for many Australians. As part of their 20th Birthday OzHarvest launched a powerful Unite to Feed Australia Campaign hoping to raise an additional 5 million meals on top of their daily services.
For nearly 10 million Australians, food has become a luxury. After covering bills, it's often the last priority or completely skipped. OzHarvest provides over half a million meals every week, but it still falls short of the growing need. They're calling on everyone to Unite to Feed Australia and help make a real impact.
Currently, 1,500 charities depend on OzHarvest to supply food for those in need, and many say it's the toughest they've ever experienced. OzHarvest supports these charities nationwide, but the food supply falls short of meeting the growing demand.
OzHarvest’s Community Needs Survey highlights the severity of the issue:
- 75% of charities report an increase in demand
- 67% don't have enough food to assist everyone in need
- 31% of people are seeking help for the first time in their lives
BioPak is proud to support OzHarvest’s mission and we’re honoured to be ‘Uniting to Feed Australia’. We are accelerating our longstanding partnership providing an additional 50,000 meals to Australians in need on top of our regular donation commitment.
Find out more about the Unite to Feed Australia Campaign here.
The Impact So Far
The impact of our partnership extends beyond just meals. From April 2023 to April 2024, BioPak’s support helped OzHarvest deliver over 178,927 meals to those in need. In addition, 89,464 kg of CO2 emissions were stopped, and 89,464 kg of food were saved from landfill. We’ve also donated 100+ types of products with a combined total of 612,123 to eight locations as more people were reached by this meaningful partnership.
As we move forward, BioPak remains committed to supporting OzHarvest’s vital work. Together, we will continue to innovate, inspire, and implement solutions that nourish communities and protect our planet. As Ronni Kahn AO puts it, “Whilst food is at the heart of everything we do, our impact goes way beyond the meals we deliver.”
Why We Support This Charity
BioPak is proud to announce its partnership with food rescue organisation OzHarvest, which will help feed thousands of people in need and fight the war on food waste.
OzHarvest’s framework for food rescue saves millions of kilos of good food from landfill and redistributes to people in need.
Up to 200,000 Meals Donated Every Year
We have supported OzHarvest since 2015, and in 2022 we formalised our partnership to help them deliver up to 200,000 meals over the course of the year to some of Australia’s most vulnerable communities.
Every dollar donated can feed two Australians, and we are humbled to know that our contribution can allow OzHarvest to deliver an additional 200,000 meals over the course of the year.
Our Impact
Food waste feeds climate change. Australia’s food waste is more than 7.6 million tonnes each year, while 3.6 million people still rely on food relief. If food waste were a country, it would be the 3rd largest emitter of greenhouse gases. OzHarvest’s work rescues food from going to waste while feeding those in need. They are truly maximising social impact while minimising environmental impact. Their “why” speaks to our “why”.
The BioCrew being the change they want to see in the world.
The BioCrew being the change they want to see in the world.
Each year, the BioCrew make their way down to the OzHarvest warehouse and get busy with whatever help that’s required – often taking on tasks such as packing food relief hampers and handing out food supplies at the OzHarvest hamper hubs. Our team members are driven by a genuine belief that we can make a difference. It is important for us to enact the values that we spout.
Attendees of the OzHarvest CEO CookOff.
Attendees of the OzHarvest CEO CookOff.
We have also partnered with them on several occasions to run zero waste events by donating compostable plates, bowls, cups and cutlery which were collected after use and composted at local facilities. By working collaboratively to assess the packaging requirements and plan the waste management logistics, we’ve managed to take the annual OzHarvest CEO CookOff to a plastic-free event where all packaging and food scraps are recycled into nutrient rich compost. These charity events make an enormous positive contribution to the community and have the power to inspire positive change for the planet.
OzHarvest CEO, Ronni Kahn AO speaks about the BioPak and composting at the CEO Cookoff 2019.
OzHarvest CEO, Ronni Kahn AO speaks about the BioPak and composting at the CEO Cookoff 2019.
Our story with them continues with the OzHarvest Food Truck and you could play a big part! By hiring the Food Truck for your next event, you enable OzHarvest to deliver a nourishing lunch, free of charge, to a charity or community event for vulnerable Australians. Any leftovers can be packaged at the end of the event and redistributed to people in need. Served with BioPak fully compostable packaging and cutlery, nothing goes to waste.
Actually, to play a role in the OzHarvest story is much simpler than hiring a truck. You’re already part of it. For it is only through our customers’ (your), support in our business that we are able to do what we do. It is together with our customers that we’re able to support projects like these and together that we will be able to bring about meaningful, positive change.
