Organic Box Schemes - What's Your Opinion?

I’ve just changed over (again) to using an organic box scheme from shopping at a supermarket to reduce the amount of plastic waste I generate. What are your thoughts about the environmental merits of these schemes and are they cheaper than your current option?

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Cool thread @Alex_Beckett. Have people had experience of using veg boxes? Would be great if you could share.

Would be interested to hear how this goes. We recently tried a meal kit delivery (Hello Fresh) who deliver all ingredients for 3 meals per week. You can select vegetarian options. We did it to reduce the amount of meat we eat and food waste we generate (they send you the right amount of things instead of buying lots of veg that you don’t end up using). We stopped it after only a few weeks as the amount of packaging was horrendous. Several cardboard boxes and insulation each week. Would be interested to hear how people get on with the veg boxes.

My experience of using organic box schemes is that their ethics extend beyond supporting organic farming to minimising plastic packaging for their produce. So - Riverford currently deliver a sturdy cardboard box (which I leave out for them to collect the following week) - the only veg that’s been in plastic packaging has been salad leaves and spinach. Potatoes and fruit come in brown paper bags. I’m currently using the Uk seasonal organic veg boxes which have been very good.

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Thank you for the info @Alex_Beckett. We signed up with Riverford and got our first deliver this week. We chose the UK seasonal box as well and opted to have some fruit as well as veg. Everything has been excellent quality- none of the fruit arrived damaged unlike the ones you find down the bottom of supermarket plastic containers!

They have an app where you can see what is due to be delivered and make changes up until about 36 hours before it is delivered. Seems really easy to change orders and adjust which box you are ordering etc.

Added bonus- we had some chard delivered in this week’s box. Never used it before but inspired me to create a veg packed meat free dinner! Turned out to be super tasty!

Definitely going to keep up the box subscription!

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That’s good to hear. I’m looking forward to a time when they can send delicate/perishable goods in tupperware which can be returned to them.

We’ve been using organic veg box deliveries for years. First Abel & Cole, then Riverford. We were with Riverford for many years and really couldn’t fault them. However, we recently switched to Oddbox (currently only available in London) because they are ‘rescuing’ unwanted veg that would otherwise go to waste. You don’t get any choice, but that’s part of the fun. Some of the stuff is surplus, some is rejected for its shape or size (that can be either too big or too small). The prices are really good to (we’re probably spending about half what we did with Riverford) Most weeks there is an optional ‘add on’ item, which could be herbs, fruit juice or something else. There is still some plastic at the moment, because that’s what comes from the producer. Not all veg is organic, but a lot of it is. We’re a couple of months in and really pleased we switched.

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I use Riverford as well and do like their ethics - one big bonus for me that I hadn’t banked on, was that I don’t have to have the bother of making plans of what to cook each evening - I just cook from the box and therefore we have lots of varied meals and no waste from the previous buy just in case scenario - I haven’t been a planner of meals (being honest) so this box arrives and helps me do that without all the effort. It’s like a helper in the kitchen plus if I pop out to the shops I end up making extra purchases and this stops those little happenings too… I am sure I could source cheaper but they are organic, local and its no phaff. There are two of us and we have a medium vegetable box which I often have to supplement with extra veg but not sure a large would work currently.