Your belly and wallet will thank you for it!
We talk a lot about food. How was dinner? What did you order for lunch? Have we picked a restaurant yet? Not so many of us talk about food waste. Climate experts have identified food waste as one of the top sustainability problems worldwide and the United Nations environment program has an ambitious goal of eliminating half of all food waste by 2030.
Climate experts have identified food waste as one of the top sustainability problems worldwide. According to the UN Environment Program, “Globally, if food waste could be represented as its own country, it would be the third largest greenhouse gas emitter, behind China and the US,” the agency said on its website. “The resources needed to produce the food that becomes lost or wasted has a carbon footprint of about 3.3 billion tons of CO2.” So the goal is reduce half of all food waste by 2030.
Here are a few apps that will get you to not just talk but do something about it.
One of our favourite apps at Citizen Good is TooGoodToGo points out that 1/3 of the world’s food is wasted. They partner with local bakeries and restaurants to fight food waste by selling Surprise/Magic Bags at a reduced price. It ticks 3 quick boxes: food is saved, great value, and a sense of excitement and anticipation for the consumer. Honing the same surprise element is Imperfect Foods. You’ll find odd-shaped fruit and vegetables that would have been discarded because retailers and consumers are conditioned to pick out “normal-looking” produce.
If you prefer predictability, then go with Karma. It tells you what unsold meals are available from local restaurants and cafés.
An app like Olio offers a charitable angle and gives you an opportunity to donate food and household items to neighbours who need the help.
It’s not just restaurant food that needs saving. Sometimes wastage begins at home. No Waste helps you to take stock of what you already have and the meals that you can make around it. Not only does it reduce waste it also saves you money from buying what you don’t need!
Eat well, save money and do good. It’s hard to argue with that.