Community fridge

Sometimes called freedges, they are a type of mutual aid project that enables food to be shared within a community.

[1] The fridges take a decentralized approach, often being maintained by a network of volunteers, community members, local businesses, and larger organizations.

Fridges offer a wide range of food from canned goods to fresh produce to pre-cooked meals.

Many fridges also accept household items, sanitary goods, and during the COVID-19 pandemic, offered masks and other PPE.

[8] In the UK, early community fridges were set up at Frome,[9] South Derbyshire,[10] Brixton (London),[11] and Botley (Oxford).

[12] A national network of community fridges was set up in July 2017 by the environmental charity Hubbub UK, which offers a free support service to new projects.

As of September 2021, fridges in the neighborhoods of Allston, Fenway, Mattapan, and Roslindale have emerged, as well as in the cities of Somerville, Cambridge, Worcester.

[31] Thailand's SCG Foundation emulated Kulchartvijit's initiative, putting up a total 60 pantry cabinets in the country by May 25, 2020.

[34] Also in the Philippines, a similar idea under the term "community pantry"[35] was started on Maginhawa Street in the Teacher's Village neighborhood of Quezon City on April 14, 2021.

[41] After Marseille, Nantes and Metz 2, the first solidarity refrigerator in Paris appeared in the 18th arrondissement, on the sidewalk in front of the restaurant La Cantine,[42] at 18 rue Ramey, at the initiative of the associations Cap ou pas cap, Le Carillon, and the owner of the restaurant Dumia Metboul, who discovered the concept in London.

Every day it is filled with unsold merchants from this small distribution area, who also monitor its contents morning and evening, ensuring that food hygiene standards are met.

[53] To address such concerns, "The Love Fridge models partnership with community-based organisations run by Black and Brown individuals experienced in food security work for mutual benefit".

In some USA states, fridges must be placed on private property, which makes them dependent on the owners willingness to participate.

[54] In New York, experiments were paired with initiatives to reuse abandoned publicly owned property and vacant lots.