INDIANAPOLIS -- A San Francisco company is working to combat food waste by offering imperfect produce at a discount across the country and right here in Indianapolis.
Twenty to forty percent of produce grown in the U.S. never makes it to the market shelves because of strict grocery store standards under the USDA.
"I do a lot of cooking at home, I'm kind of a foodie," says Kara Gladish, an Indianapolis resident, who is looking forward to the new option to buy fresh produce.
A priority for Gladish is to live a healthy lifestyle at an affordable price. When she learned about a low-cost produce delivery service coming to the Indianapolis area, she jumped on the opportunity immediately.
"I signed up right away," explains Gladish. "Indy is the fifth city they are coming to, so I am really proud that Indy is getting such a cool service."
Imperfect Produce is a customizable subscription box service, dependent on size, it can cost between $12 to $40 a week. The box is packed with a variety of fruits and veggies, with organic options. The company will begin Indianapolis service by May 2018.
"Indy is a great city, it's got a vibrant food scene, it's lively, it's welcoming, it's open to new ideas," says CEO of Imperfect Produce Ben Simon. "And it's just the perfect next stop in the Midwest for us."
PHOTOS | More Imperfect Produce
This service brings fresh fruits and vegetables to your doorstep once a week, at a fraction of the cost that you would pay in store. Simon claims your box will cost 30% to 50% less than an in-store purchase.
"One in five fruits and vegetables get wasted because they look a little bit funny on the outside," explains Simon.
It's a fact Simon has latched onto, in an effort to combat food waste in the country.
"We have already saved sixteen million pounds of produce from going to waste," Simon says. "Forty percent of the food grown goes to waste, and it is six billion pound of produce every year goes to waste. It is one of the biggest contributors to climate change."
With strict cosmetic standards by the USDA, for produce that is perfect to eat on the inside, Imperfect Produce purchases those ugly fruits and veggies directly from farmers, boxes them up, and ships them to your doorstep.
"The produce is going to be really fresh because we eliminate the steps in the supply chain for food," explains Simon. "It just goes from the farm to our facility, to your house. Often that produce would have been picked just a few days earlier."
Gladish has already pre-ordered her first box, expected to arrive at her downtown Indianapolis home the first week of May.
"It is just a really savvy idea, and it is delivered to your door, and it's customizable," says Gladish. "It just makes a lot of sense."
For more info on Imperfect Produce and to order a subscription click here: https://www.imperfectproduce.com/.
Simon tells RTV6 for Indianapolis residents looking at starting a subscription, they can use the code "INDY5" for $5 off their first box.
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