BY: AISHA ILYAD
You may ask yourself what on Earth restaurants do with their leftover meals? There are many types of food that don’t last for more than a day and are useless after one night. “Food for all” and “Too Good to Go” are two apps designed to connect people looking to save money on prepared foods with restaurants that have excess and leftover food. Of course they don’t actually sell unfinished meals left by their customers for a lower price, but rather the food that was prepared same-day for their customers but didn’t sell and would otherwise be thrown out at the end of the day.
These apps allows iOS and Android users to search for food deals close to their desired location, place their order for the leftovers, buy directly from their devices at a cost as low as half the original price, and then go pick up the food at the designated time.
These apps have foods listed for as little as US$2.60 with a maximum price of US$5.00, and have plans to expand to other countries in the future.
Right now, Food for All operates 30-some restaurants in Cambridge, MA, and is looking to scale up its venture to both Boston and New York City by next year. Too Good to Go, on the other hand, was founded in Denmark and operates in the UK.
“Our mission is to save food, save money and save the planet by placing the lost value back onto food as humankind’s most valuable energy resource, and not something that should just be carelessly thrown in the bin. Why? Because if food waste were a country it would be the third largest emitter of greenhouse gases, whilst recovering just half of the food that is lost or wasted could feed the world alone,” states Food for All. “It’s a problem that doesn’t need to exist – and we’re determined to help solve it.”
About “100,000 meals [have been] diverted from bins to bellies since Oct 15” through the use of this app.
Statistics show that some 40% of all the food produced these days ends up as waste, which is a staggering figure on its own, considering the current state of world hunger. According to reports every year, consumers in industrialized countries waste almost as much food as the entire net food production of sub-Saharan Africa (222 million vs. 230 million tons).
Food for All is currently running a Kickstarter campaign so that they can expand the operation to more cities.
What do you think? If this app comes to your city, would you use it to score some discounted restaurant food?
In the meantime you can always follow the T.E.S. rule while dining out or in:
Think. Be a smart shopper and think about what you are buying and when it will be eaten. Wasting food is often a subconscious act – become aware of how much food you throw away. Plan meals and use shopping lists. Bring your leftovers home from restaurants in reusable containers.
Eat. Become a more mindful eater. Eyes bigger than your stomach? Request smaller portions and become a leftovers guru.
Save. Save your food, save your money and save the environment. Donate to food banks and become a conscious consumer.
