Impact The Change and Waste Not OC Coalition Unveil World’s First Off The Grid Solar Powered Cold Storage Unit

Inside of “The Beast,” a first of its kind modified shipping container that can operate on solar power and hold thousands of ready-to-eat meals.

STAFF REPORT

Rolling blackouts, power outages, other disasters won’t affect ‘The Beast’, a forty foot shipping container converted to store thousands of frozen meals for people in need

ANAHEIM — The world’s first off the grid, fully sustainable, completely green 100% solar powered freezer unit will be turned on at its new home on the campus of Anaheim High School on Wednesday, August 19, 2020 at an event beginning at 11:30am.

The need for emergency cold storage for recovered excess edible food from the food service industry to distribute to non-profit food pantries has been a priority for Mike Learakos, Executive Director of Waste Not OC, and Impact The Change’s Founder, Jonathan Stone.

After three years of planning and building, ‘The Beast’ was created from a forty foot refrigerated cargo container, designed to ship food.  During a power outage, its solar technology will generate its own green power, virtually eliminating food waste, and operate completely off of the electrical grid.

Local businesses are on board developing products for the unit to help protect, maintain inventory and manage temperature for thousands of vacuum sealed, frozen ‘Ready To Heat & Eat’ meals used to feed people that can’t get out for a nutritious, hot meal.  This new cold storage unit will also help feed those in need during a disaster, regardless of power interruptions, including rolling black outs.

Steve Steppe of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Union Black Caucus in San Diego lead the conversion project, providing at risk young adults with vocational training.

Partial funding through a grant to Waste Not OC was provided by Orange County Waste & Recycling.   An estimated 19.6 million pounds of food was recovered in 2019.  85% of that food was recycled, making it the most cost effective recycling program in the state.

Michael Collier, Executive Producer of Television’s “The Big Bang Theory”, “Mom” & “Two and a Half Men”, is producing a pilot episode based on Impact The Change’s solar powered cold storage project.

Anaheim Union High School District approved space for ‘The Beast’ in the parking lot along North West Street at Anaheim High School.  This will serve as a hub for Orange County food recovery, as part of a proposed network of other green, off the grid solar powered cold storage containers to be placed around Orange County and Southern California.

Learakos, said the unit could also be used to store COVID-19 vaccine doses.