Discarded and lower-grade fruits and vegetables have received a new lease on life and are being turned into a new range of Wonki RTDs.

Wonki is the brainchild of Melbourne-based university students Gabriel Tucker, Max Moolman, and Briget Lansell, who set out to repurpose second and third grade fruit and vegetables from supermarkets, diverting produce destined for landfill to the factory where beverages are made.

Moolman said the concept came about after the trio became dismayed by the volume of produce being discarded after not meeting the aesthetic standards of other retailers.

“With around 25% of Australia’s produce never leaving farms due to aesthetics, Wonki is helping create a positive impact on the environment,” he said.

“We work directly with farmers to remove unwanted produce off farms and put them back into cans. Because of that, it means Wonki’s flavour combinations change with the season depending on what’s available and needs saving.”

Fellow founder Lansell said Wonki’s goal is to save 100,000 kg of produce from becoming waste by 2025.

“If we get that right, together we’ll have built a business that has a serious capacity to fight food waste in Australia,” she said.

Dan Murphy’s Managing Director Agi Pfeiffer Smith said: ”We know that customers are continually becoming more eco-conscious and are looking for more sustainable initiatives.

“Stocking products such as Wonki in store, highlights a common goal between retailer and supplier – to reduce our environmental footprint through greater innovation and waste reduction initiatives.”

Wonki is available at 32 Dan Murphy’s stores throughout Victoria and online through Dan’s Marketplace.