Hellmann’s Canada drops limited edition sneakers made from food waste, supports Second Harvest

Hellman’s Canada has dropped a limited edition pair of sneakers to shine a spotlight on food waste. 

The 1352: Refresed Sneakers were teased earlier in the month. They are made from common food waste items, including corn, mushrooms, apples, grapes and more. The sneakers were concepted, designed and manufactured in collaboration with Italian-based brand, ID.EIGHT, who supports sustainable fashion.

“Hellmann’s commitment to using local ingredients and their mission of reducing food waste complements ID.EIGHT’s commitment to using sustainable and quality materials, making them a natural partner for us,” said Giuliana Borzillo, brand manager at ID.EIGHT.

The naming of the sneakers is a callback to the monetary value of $1,352, the average Canadian household wastes in food each year. With wallets tightening and conscious consumption on the rise, the brand looks to bring awareness to the impact food waste has in Canadians’ kitchens.

“Hellmann’s has a longstanding history of taking the necessary steps to address, raise awareness, and reduce food waste,” said Harsh Pant, Sr. brand manager for Hellmann’s Canada. “With 1352: Refreshed Sneakers we’ve created a visual representation of Canadians’ food waste, aimed at sparking conversation and challenging consumers to take small steps to reducing that $1,352 amount of food that’s wasted each year.”

For every entry, Hellmann’s Canada will donate the equivalent of 10 meals to long-standing charity partner, Second Harvest, supporting their mission to rescue food and reduce waste. 

Hellmann’s Canada has also committed to providing a $25,000 donation which will provide enough healthy food for 75,000 meals.

In 2018, Hellmann’s launched the “Make Taste, Not Waste” platform in 2018 to bring light to the issue of food waste. Through actively transitioning to environmentally friendly packaging materials and spearheading campaigns such as Flexipes and Hellmann’s Fridge Night App, the company provides consumers with tips, tricks and helpful resources to reduce waste.