In France, food waste represents almost 10 million tons of waste per year. According to the latest study by the Ecological Transition Agency (ADEME), this amounts to 150 kg per person. The first measures of the Anti-Waste and Circular Economy Act (AGEC) have been in force since January 1, 2021. But Land&Monkeys, the 100% plant-based French bakery, did not wait for its application to reduce waste production and have a positive impact on the planet. Meeting with Mathilde Gourlet, Marketing & Development Manager at Land&Monkeys, who discusses the commitments the company has made since opening its first store in Paris in 2020.
The current system has become accustomed to producing too much in relation to the real needs of the population. At the same time, we are also governed by the rule of: “zero stock” even if it means sacrificing a whole part of our production. At Land&Monkeys we know that this system is not sustainable in the long term. As a bakery with a positive impact on life and the planet, it’s hard to claim to be a virtuous greengrocer by throwing whole bags of food in the trash every night whilea part is still consumable or reusable† That’s why we at Land&Monkeys have chosen to reduce our footprint on the planet at all stages of the production of our products, from the design of our recipes to the management of our waste and unsold products.
Bread, pastries, cakes, sandwiches, salads, the chefs at Land&Monkeys devise and develop recipes with a shelf life of more than one day so as not to have to throw them away the same evening. This allows us to set up a rotation system and anticipate the quantities for the next day, with a limit of a maximum of 5% loss per day. Each day our bakery and banquet managers then have to assess the volume to be produced upstream based on the quantities produced over the same period the previous year. The goal at this stage: to reduce unnecessary waste.
Give the product a second life
But even if we do everything we can to reduce our waste in production, it is not always enough to eliminate food waste from our bakeries. Therefore, it was unthinkable for us to commit to reducing our waste without addressing the issue of the aftermath. What to do with dry croissants and pain au chocolat that are systematically thrown away in other bakeries while they are still edible? At Land&Monkeys, thanks to old cooking recipes, we give a second life to our pastries with almond cream for example. We also transform our salads into soups, our brioches and our desserts into puddings… With these little gastronomic tips we can extend their life and delight our customers’ taste buds!
For everything we cannot recycle, we partner with companies and associations that share our approach to waste. This is how we offer with Phénix: three unsold baskets every day worth €12 for the price of €3, which can be reserved via their app and picked up in the store. Thanks to this device, we have saved 4,375 meals and avoided 22,055 kg of CO emissions2 † We also donate some of our unsold products to HopHopFood, which helps people in precarious situations. Likewise, The Alchemists allow us to: recycle our food waste into compost† Thanks to this collaboration, since July 2020 we have been able to convert almost 12,000 kg of biowaste into compost (2,000 kg) and avoid almost 4,800 kg of CO emissions2 †
A plastic disposable approach without disposables
Say goodbye to plastic bowls and bottles! At Land&Monkeys we have decided to exclude all forms of disposable plastic and have opted for recycled and recyclable kraft cardboard packaging† As for our suppliers, we ensure that they deliver to us in wooden cases as much as possible and that they limit their packaging to what is strictly necessary.
Finally, to encourage our customers to take the reusable step, we offer them -5% on coffee if they come with their own containers. And if they don’t have one, they can always afford one of ours reusable bread bags, tote bags and water bottles for all their daily purchases. For the rest, Land&Monkeys continues its reflection on the reduction of its waste through numerous projects to go even further in its positive impact approach.
By Mathilde Gourlet, Marketing & Development Manager at Land&Monkeys
Learn more about the eco-responsible approach from Land&Monkeys? Find all his obligations to the planet and the living secure his website†