Food waste is a massive problem for businesses, individuals, and the environment.
Worldwide, we waste about 2.5 billion tons of food yearly — roughly one-third of all food produced.
Too Good To Go aims to change that by rescuing perfectly good food that would otherwise be thrown away.
What's Too Good To Go?
Too Good To Go is an app that individuals can use to look for food in their area. Sellers fill "surprise bags" with items close to being thrown away, such as hot food they can't continue storing or groceries close to their sell-by date.
The food listed on Too Good To Go isn't rotten or damaged. It's simply running out of time, so sellers are willing to offer it at a discount.
Why is Too Good To Go important?
The Too Good To Go app helps people, businesses, and the planet. It helps buyers save money by directing them to discounted meals and groceries.
It's also an exciting way to try new restaurants and unfamiliar foods. "Any business who sells food can be on the app because any business who sells food can have surplus food waste," Sarah Soteroff, the company's senior PR manager, told The Cool Down.
"This can be anything from a gas station to a high-end restaurant, grocery store, bakery, distribution center, and everything in between."
Stores and restaurants love Too Good To Go because it turns all food waste costs into profits. The business can sell the food instead of tossing good food in the trash and paying to have it picked up, then paying more for replacement products.
Food waste is a significant drain on the planet's resources like water and farmland. It also contributes to the overheating of the planet because shipping extra food adds heat-trapping air pollution.
Too Good To Go estimates that food waste accounts for 10% of the heat-trapping gases produced worldwide.
Where can I use the app?
Too Good To Go is active in cities across the U.S., including "New York, Boston, Philadelphia, D.C., Miami, L.A., San Diego, Chicago, Providence, Portland (Maine and Oregon,) Austin, San Antonio, Dallas, Houston, and some surrounding areas," Soteroff said.
According to Soteroff, New York is the company's biggest market and was the first to open in 2020.
The app also includes businesses doing innovative things with food waste.
"We have a pressed juice partner who uses the pulp from juice production to make gluten-free pizza," Soteroff added. "We have a bakery who upcycles bread that is past its freshness into yeast for beer. And we have countless creative solutions from partners who turn creations into new dishes (think banana bread, bread pudding, quiche) from food that would otherwise go to waste."
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