FareShare North East is delighted to announce that Karbon Homes has pledged £25,800 towards the creation of a new Clean Room at our Newcastle warehouse – a vital development that will significantly expand our ability to save good food from going to waste.

The pledge, made through Karbon’s Social Value Fund, represents half of the total cost needed to build and equip the modular, temperature-controlled facility. Once in place, the Clean Room will allow FareShare North East to safely decant and repackage bulk surplus food into smaller, more accessible portions, unlocking food that currently cannot be redistributed in its existing format.

This simple but powerful addition will be transformational for our regional operation, enabling us to make hundreds of tonnes of surplus food available to community organisations over the coming years.

However, to activate Karbon Homes’ generous donation, FareShare North East must first secure the remaining funding required.

FareShare staff at Clean Room in Nottingham.

A Step-Change in Food Rescue for the North East

The environmental and community impact of this project is substantial:

• 50 tonnes of surplus food redistributed in the first year
• Rising to 90 tonnes in year two
• And 130 tonnes in year three

In total, that’s the equivalent of 642,600 meals made possible, all from food that already exists and would otherwise risk going to waste.

By preventing this surplus from going to landfill or anaerobic digestion, the Clean Room will also save an estimated 548 tonnes of embedded CO₂ over three years, supporting the region’s net zero ambitions.

A Practical, Scalable Solution

The Clean Room is a fully modular, stand-alone food-safe environment that does not require building regulations. It can be dismantled, moved, and reassembled if required, giving FareShare North East the flexibility to respond to future growth and operational needs.

Seeking Partners to Bring This Project to Life

With Karbon Homes’ commitment already in place, FareShare North East is now inviting organisations to partner with us to secure the remaining funding and make this essential facility a reality.

“This investment from Karbon Homes opens the door to a step-change in our food rescue work,” said Joe Dunne, Director of Social Enterprise at FareShare North East.
“With the final funding secured, we can unlock hundreds of tonnes of good food for communities, while delivering significant carbon savings for the region.”

Organisations and stakeholders interested in supporting the project can find out more via the North East Combined Authority Carbon Marketplace:

https://marketplace.netzeronortheastengland.co.uk/hub/invest/168