Waste Not, Want Not!

Back in January we learnt of the new app ‘Too Good To Go‘ taking Denmark by storm as it makes further strides in combatting the issue of food waste in the country. The app connects diners with restaurants and outlets that sell lots of pre-prepared food, such as sandwiches and ready-meals, and allows them to buy food that’s left at the end of the day for reduced prices. So perfect for picking up a late-in-the-day bargain whilst also knowing you’re helping reduce the amount of food wasted at the end of each day. #Winning! Restaurants also benefit as they are making money on produce they would have usually thrown away and lost income on – Denmark now has over 140 outlets on board.

This month, it was announced that after being trialled successfully in some UK cities (Brighton, Leeds, Birmingham) Too Good to Go has finally arrived in London and will go towards making use of the millions of tonnes of food wasted here in the UK each year – Britain actually wastes more than any other European country. What’s more, it will hopefully help those regularly reliant on food banks and with low disposable income. Where it’s still early days, the app’s co-founder Chris Wilson has told the Evening Standard that it’s mainly independents that are currently on-board and that although they have the bigger chains in their sights as they are the culprits for wasting the most food, they are tougher and take longer to crack.

It’s also riding the wave of digital innovation within the food sector and tapping into the click and collect culture we’re seeing more and more of. Users of smart phones can pay with a credit card before collecting the food from the restaurant during a time slot. As expected, you don’t get a menu to choose from and it’s obviously completely dependent on what the outlets have left-over, but if you’re getting a bargain from somewhere you’d usually spent 2-3 times more on for a meal as well as feeling as though you’re doing a little bit for the planet, who’s complaining?