I often hear people say, “There’s an app for that,” when it comes to the dumbest things. But this new app in the UK is the coolest app I’ve ever heard of. Seriously, I need the US to get their junk together and get on board. It’s called Too Good To Go and it’s such a simple yet brilliant concept. I’m floored it’s never been done before.
Here’s how it works:
Restaurants have leftover food at the end of the day or after peak mealtimes that they are going to toss in the trash. They update the app showing the leftover food. You log into the app and see what restaurants have to offer. You purchase the food at a discounted price and save it from becoming food waste. You head to the restaurant at the specified pickup time and walk away with cheap food. You score. The restaurant scores. The world scores.
Did you know over 1.3 billion pounds of food is wasted every year. Let me repeat that. ONE POINT THREE BILLION POUNDS OF FOOD. I can’t wrap my head around that. So many people are going hungry and so much food is going to waste. We live in a country full of wildly intelligent people. How have we not put two and two together?
“Food waste just seems like one of the dumbest problems we have in this world,” co-founder James Crummie said. “The restaurant industry is wasting about 600,000 tonnes of food each year, and in the UK alone there are one million people on emergency food parcels from food banks. Why do we have these two massive social issues that are completely connected, yet there is not much going on to address them?”
Exactly. This app is awesome and a great start to correcting that.
What do you think? Would you use the service? I totally would.
Cheri says
Absolutely! This issue has been bothering me for awhile. I prefer they use leftover food for the homeless, but otherwise, I’d love to sign up.
Susan says
Perhaps the people complaining about food waste should reconsider a better way of getting their point across. When you stop to think that the world’s population is 7.4 billion, 1.3 billion pounds of wasted food only equals out to 5.7 lbs per person.
That doesn’t seem like a lot of wasted food Maybe they should clarify more and say 1.3 billion pounds of food is wasted in the United States or something.
But then again, perhaps it was clear in the article you are paraphasing.
(I haven’t read it) and too, my math could be wrong.
Andrea D says
Susan, assuming the numbers of 7.4 billion people and 1.3 billion pounds of food waste are correct, your math is wrong. I think you divided 7.4 by 1.3, it should be the other way around; 1.3 (pounds) divided by 7.4 (people), in which case it is less than a 1/4 lb per person wasted (about .18 lbs per person). When put that way it seems the equivalent of 1 bite per person per year wasted. (again, this is assuming the starting numbers are correct). 🙂
Andrea D says
And just to clarify, I am in no way diminishing the necessity of helping those who are in need and finding ways to re-purpose perfectly good food.
Brooke says
A local restaurant freezes leftovers in individual containers, and sells them in a case in the front for around 30% off. Win/win.
But I tend to agree with Cheri. Where possible, leftovers could be used in soup kitchens instead.
Rebecca says
I would definitely purchase discounted leftovers. But I also agree with what others have said and would like to see it donated to homeless people and shelters who serve them.
Anne F says
Many restaurants in my area (King County near Seattle, WA) send their leftovers to homeless shelters. There are health departments regs that make this challenging.
Helen in Meridian says
What a great idea. The problem with donations to soup kitchens etc. is that they have to only accept complete unused pans of food. Let’s say lasagna, and only one piece is ordered, they can’t accept the pan. What a waste. Yes, please package up and discount.
Patty M says
I think it’s a wonderful idea! Makes me wish there was something like that here. I think it would go over big!
Erin says
Brilliant idea! Now if we could convince all grocery stores to stop throwing away perfectly good food as well . . .
Tamara says
It may not be widespread but there are food recovery programs in various parts of the country where grocery stores and restaurants donate unused food to shelters and soup kitchens. When our children were small our night to collect was one Saturday about every six weeks. At the moment I cannot recall why our family stopped volunteering. Now I’ve got to reinvestigate! Thanks for the nudge!
On a side note, much assistance IS sent to famine/poverty stricken countries and it is often intercepted by the corrupt government, or others, to serve their own, not humanitarian, purposes.