Words by Smiley Team
Innovative food waste-reduction app Too Good To Go is in conversation with “most, if not all the large food players within the UK and globally”, says Jamie Crummie, co-founder and director.
Too Good To Go is a fast-growing app designed to reduce the amount of food waste that multiple shops, restaurants and cafés produce. Users of the app can collect ‘magic bags’ from household names such as Starbucks, Costa and Morrisons. These bags are made up of food that would normally go to waste at the end of the working day.
“Nobody gets pleasure out of having to throw food away,” Jamie tells Smiley News. “Research shows that actually staff feel sad when they have to throw food in the bin. But sometimes circumstances arise where food has to be thrown away, so it’s about having solutions in place to enable that food to be rescued.”
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Food waste accounts for 10% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions, in contrast with plastic, which produces approximately 3.8%. Food waste isn’t just the burger that someone may idly toss in the bin upon deciding they don’t like it – it’s the food production, encompassing meat, dairy, wheat and vegetables.
“Food waste is so detrimental to our environment, it’s not just the plate of food in front of us that we’re wasting,” adds Jamie. “It’s actually all the resources that have gone into that plate of food. Then it’s a waste of labour which is used to harvest and produce that food.
“It’s a waste of water that is used to grow and prepare that food. It’s then a waste of the fertilisers that are put into our soils. It’s a waste of fuel that’s used to transport the food to supermarkets, cafés and restaurants, and then to our homes.”
Project Drawdown is the world’s leading resource for climate solutions. They produced a report that states that the most important thing people can do to help halt climate change is reduce their food waste.
In terms of companies joining Too Good To Go, there is a ‘triple win’ format: it’s a win for the customer, a win for the business and a win for the environment. It also helps businesses that may not be so well-known by attracting new customers who pick up a magic bag. These customers may also get a coffee or other item, which raises the intake of a business.
“For us with Too Good To Go, it’s about saving as much food as possible,” says Jamie. “This means that we work with businesses of all sizes. So yes, that means working with places like McDonalds or the local bakery around the corner, as well as more supermarkets and more retailers.
“We want to be working with anyone who has surplus food, or food that they’re throwing in the bin. We will continue to work with these and try to expand the network of businesses that we currently operate with.”
GET INVOLVED: Use the Too Good To Go app to help stop food going to waste.
DONATE: You can support Project Drawdown by donating.
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