In recent years, people across the internet have been shining a spotlight on food waste and how much it costs both businesses and consumers. One TikToker just showed the world a simple way to fight back against waste and save on groceries — while helping the planet.
The scoop
Lucia Liu (@luciayliu) shares her secret in a TikTok unboxing video. "I don't like to pay full price for anything, and that includes my groceries," she says.
That's why she turned to a website called Martie. "Everything is discounted because the expiration date is coming up," she explains, digging into a huge box of groceries she ordered from the site.
@luciayliu i like discounted food and the website is cute so i bought all these things! #groceryhauls #groceryhaul #martiefoods #discountgrocery #foodwastesolution #foodwastetip ♬ original sound - Lucia Liu
"I don't even remember what I bought, so let's do a discounted grocery haul unboxing together," she says, before unpacking chia and quinoa tortilla chips, bagel seasoning, strawberry jam, tahini, hazelnut spread, rosemary garlic crackers, brown sugar, chocolate cereal, laundry detergent, and toilet paper.
According to Liu, she saved a total of $35 on those 10 items alone. "I'm a fan; this is not sponsored," she adds.
How it's helping
For shoppers who want to save money, Martie is an obvious choice. The discounted food is perfectly good to eat, just getting close to its "best by" date — which doesn't always indicate the safety of consuming the product. The site carries many high-quality brands and tasty products, and even many nonfood items.
Martie also has a clear mission to help the planet.
"Nearly 40% of our food goes to waste in the United States, while over 38 million Americans experience food insecurity," co-founder and CEO Louise Fritjofsson told The Cool Down. "The truth is, there's enough food to go around. It's the 'going around' that Martie is here to help fix.
"By selling surplus items that would otherwise go to waste, we are enabling customers to be environmental heroes simply by shopping discounted groceries," Fritjofsson continued. "That we make shopping a fun experience akin to a treasure hunt is a pretty amazing bonus — that keeps people coming back."
What everyone's saying
Other users found Martie extremely helpful. "I just placed my first order!" said one commenter. "I love their mission to end waste and found a bunch of gluten free items."
"Love these alternatives! Thank you for sharing," said another user.
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