Thirteen per cent of food waste happens at distribution and retail level. In the UK, 1,000 grocery stores are already leading the way in the fight against food waste with Too Good To Go
Every year, we throw away one-third of the food we produce. It’s a senseless problem, made even more staggering when you learn of food waste’s impact on the planet.
After all, when we waste food, it’s not just the food we waste - it’s everything that went into producing that food, from water, to land, to energy. Then, there’s the issue of what happens to the food we throw away: when food gets sent to landfill, it doesn’t just decompose naturally into the earth, it produces methane as it rots, a greenhouse gas at least 20 times more potent than CO2.
All in all, food waste is responsible for 8% of greenhouse gases globally.
So it begs the question: if food waste is putting the planet under this much strain, why are we still throwing so much food away?
But food waste is a familiar issue for retailers
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), 13% of food waste happens in distribution and retail.
The main causes of this waste can be boiled down to a few key issues: the need to have abundant quantities of food on display to create an appealing aesthetic, the unpredictability of day-to-day demand, the trend of overstocking with bulk orders contrasted with a lack of storage facilities, the misinterpretation of product shelf life, and finally, the advance preparation of ready-made fresh food.
Luckily, stores have found a solution that helps them navigate these issues: Too Good To Go.
Too Good To Go is the app that lets consumers save surplus food
The app connects businesses that have unsold food with customers who buy, collect and enjoy this food.
With over three million users in the UK alone, the added exposure and expanded consumer base brought about by the app makes it easier for businesses to find the right customers at the right time to make sure their food gets eaten, not wasted.
In the UK, 1,000 grocery stores are already selling their surplus food through the app.
How it works is simple
As a business, you update the app with how much surplus food you have to sell. Customers search the app for local participating stores, order through the app, then collect the food at a time set by you. Rather than listing individual portions of food, you’ll fill a ‘Magic Bag’ with food that hasn’t sold in time, setting a reduced price that’s fair for you and the customer.
Nisa partner Dan Brown of Pinkie Farm in Musselburgh is delighted with how the concept works for his store.
“Our business is very focused on fresh, and with that comes a lot of waste, so we wanted to try to find a solution. Since working with Too Good To Go, the amount of food we’ve been throwing away has dramatically decreased and we’ve been saving a lot of money. Our customers are thrilled.
“It’s given us a great image within the community. It’s been fantastic and very easy to use. It was set up overnight and has been really simple ever since.”
Too Good To Go has an ambitious goal: to inspire and empower people around the world to fight food waste, while showing that it’s possible to thrive as a business with sustainability at the core. Think it could work for your business?
Find out more on Too Good To Go’s website.
