‘Waste Not, Want Not’ Clonakilty is all about rolling up our sleeves and making a real difference in how we handle food waste, and the community has really gotten behind it! Running from February 2024 to March 2025, this farm-to-fork initiative brought together local businesses, farmers, schools, clubs, and community groups to reduce food waste and promote sustainability. This project, a collaboration between VOICE Ireland, Clonakilty Tidy Towns, and the Clonakilty Community Resource Center delivered over 70 workshops, six festival collaborations, six pilot projects, two town-wide business initiatives plus the launch of a brand-new Apple Festival!
The final end-of-project community gathering was held on March 20 at O’Donovan’s Hotel, where Clonakilty’s residents came together to celebrate everything that’s been accomplished. It was a chance to look back at all the efforts and energy put into food waste reduction, sustainability, and community spirit – there was a lot to celebrate!
We started the evening showing a video overview of the year, which you can now find on online by scanning the QR code on this page.
One of the highlights of the past year was the launch of the Clonakilty Apple Festival, co-created with the Clonakilty Apple Pressing Group, the festival celebrates the local apple harvest every year with fun games, apple competitions, and even tips on how to preserve your apple crop. The festival is looking for a small group of dedicated volunteers to help steer the event in the years ahead, so if you’re a fan of apples, this could be your calling!
In tandem with the festival, the Clonakilty Apple Mapping Project is underway. Born out of the Apple Fest and supported by Tidy Towns, Men’s Shed, and apple expert Cillian Boyd, this project is all about grafting and mapping local apple trees. Not only does it preserve traditional apple varieties, but it also aims to plant new trees around Clonakilty. If you are interested in this project contact the Clonakilty Men’s shed for updates.
The community’s efforts didn’t stop at apples. There are several business initiatives pushing Clonakilty toward becoming a shining example of sustainability. The ‘Sachet-Free Clonakilty’ campaign, led by Tidy Towns and Clonakilty Community College, is aiming to make Clonakilty the first ‘Sachet-Free’ town in Ireland by June 2025. Guess what? Over 85 per cent of the town’s businesses have already jumped on board, with just a handful of takeaways and restaurants still needing to make the change. To encourage everyone to help reduce sachet waste, the team is also proposing a small fee for sachets and disposable containers to stop people from taking more than they need. This is all about making sustainable choices easy — and Clonakilty is leading the charge!
The Green Wedding Initiative is another longterm project that’s on the menu. With food waste being a big issue at large events, particularly weddings, local venues are getting in on the action. Five local venues now offer ‘green wedding’ options, which focus on reducing waste by plating food instead of using share bowls (which can cut down food waste by up to 70 per cent), offering fewer dessert options, and keeping those late-night snacks to a minimum.
In schools, and thanks to tremendous work by local chef Gillian Hegarty and Jean Perry, our focus has been on teaching kids about food waste, cookery skills and gardening from a young age. We would love to see more of this going forward and are looking for ways to provide training for teachers or other chefs and gardeners to work with schools. Perhaps schools and parents might come together to discuss how they can continue on with these types of workshops.
Another project that’s growing legs is the Clonakilty Community Social, a monthly inclusive social games night (alcohol-free) where excess food can be shared with those who need it. This project is looking for a new venue that is accessible to all ages; if you have any ideas please get in touch! In collaboration with Meals on Wheels and the Clonakilty Resource Centre, a ‘Free Box’ was set up at the Resource Centre, allowing people to pop by and take some canned or preserved goods. It’s a simple, yet powerful way of ensuring that no food goes to waste while also fostering a sense of community spirit.
As for households, everyone is being encouraged to make small changes that add up to a big difference. Cookery workshops and tips on food storage, meal planning, and creative ways to use leftovers have been a big hit in the past 14 months. And now, Clonakilty is asking its residents to step up and become ‘Food Waste Reduction Ambassadors’ by talking to friends and family about the importance of reducing waste.
A series of recipe postcards featuring creative ideas for using leftover ingredients are being distributed throughout Clonakilty, showcasing recipes by local chefs Caitlin Ruth, Gillian Hegarty, and the Women’s Shed. These cards are designed to inspire the community to make the most out of food that might otherwise go to waste. Find postcards by visiting food champion businesses in town. There are eight to collect!
With all these exciting projects in motion, the next steps include individuals and community groups taking on the ongoing management of initiatives like the Apple Festival, Sachet-Free Clonakilty as well as to run more workshops. There will also be continued efforts to promote Green Weddings and food waste reduction in schools. Clonakilty is proving that small changes can have a big impact, and together, the community is leading the way toward a more sustainable, waste-free future. So, whether you’re a local or just visiting, be sure to join in — it’s all about making Clonakilty a great place to live and grow!
The next step for Waste Not, Want Not? To create a toolkit full of tips and tricks to share with other towns and communities across Ireland. The toolkit will be available soon at
www.voiceireland.org/
wastenotwantnot.
