Volunteers at a public fridge hope the waste-reduction project will “knit the community together through food”.

Leytonstone Community Fridge, officially unveiled on Monday (September 17), is one of just five such initiatives in London which aims to reduce waste and tackle food poverty at the same time.

The fridge and cabinets, stocked full of fresh and dried foods donated by businesses and individuals in the area, is open to everyone, regardless of personal circumstances.

Co-ordinator Diana Korchien, of Transition Leytonstone, said the fridge is key to uniting different ethnic groups in the diverse community.

“I have lived here 31 years and I have seen a lot of changes in Leytonstone in terms of the demographics and the composition of the community,” she said.

“I think there’s a sort of village feeling in Leytonstone which we need to enforce through initiatives like this.

“There’s a lot of food poverty here. We are helping a lot of street sleepers and we also have a lot of people who have a roof over their head but are struggling to buy the food that they need.

“We’ve got high quality food here, not just rubbish, and we have things to cater for many different people.

“We have gluten-free foods, vegan, Chinese, South Asian, Indian, English, Polish.

“That’s why we think it will knit the community together through food.”

So far, 20 businesses in the area have offered to donate their surplus foods, provided it is not home-cooked and within its use by date, and organisers are urging more people to get on board.

The project, which will be extended to include a second fridge and a freezer in the near future, is supported by the North London Waste Authority and Bosch.

Environmental charity Hubbub, which runs 33 community fridges across the country, has also leant its support.

Creative partner, Elle McAll, echoed Diana’s hopes for the Leytonstone project.

She said: “The aim is to provide an easy way for food that would otherwise be wasted, to be fed to people, not fed to bins.

“It’s a really good way of bringing the community together.

“For example, in other places with community fridges, there’s been an increase in people making new friends and sharing what they have with others.

“People will share kitchen utensils and children’s toys.

“We are really excited about it. There’s a really strong sense of community here and we hope it further catalyses that.”

Volunteer Adrenne Aslan, who runs an off-licence in Leytonstone High Road, was among those who gathered under the morning sun to watch the ribbon-cutting on Monday.

Ms Aslan, who donates fruit juices, crisps and biscuits to the fridge, says she has seen a difference in the way people shop for foods in recent years.

“Nowadays people are more conscious when they shop,” she said. “Instead of buying a big bag of packets of crisps and throwing out some, they will buy small packets.

“There’s a demand for local produce and healthier foods, but healthy is not always the most affordable.

“In my shop, we have customers who can afford things and others who can’t afford things. It’s better to share things instead of disposing of it.”

Carlo Viscione, creative director of Made With Volume, designed the fridge’s cabinet for free, using durable Accoya wood.

When drawing up the plans, Mr Viscione said he wanted to make it colourful and attractive in order to dispel “the stigma of going to a food bank”.

Clyde Loakes, councillor for Leytonstone ward and chairman of North London Waste Authority, was joined by pupils from nearby George Tomlinson Primary School, as he cut the ribbon.

Speaking to the crowd, Cllr Loakes emphasized the fact that £13 billion worth of food is disposed of from households in the UK every year.

He said the fridge would serve as “a symbol of what can be done” to prevent waste by sharing foods among neighbours.

“It is so accessible to passersby to drop food off and pick food up,” said Cllr Loakes.

“Here in Leytonstone, we like a good environmental initiative.

“We need all of you to go away today and start telling your neighbours.”

The fridge, located at Café de Montmartre, 34 Church Lane, is open from 12 to 3pm Monday to Friday.