The world’s largest marketplace for surplus food, Too Good To Go, has just landed in Australia with an exclusive launch in Melbourne. The genius idea (the brainchild of a Danish-born social impact company) is a free mobile marketplace that retailers, restaurants, bakeries and cafés can use to sell their surplus food. It's currently active in 17 countries including the US, Canada, the UK and nations across Europe, with 90 million registered users.
All you need to do is download the app, where you can order 'Too Good To Go Surprise Bags' full of delicious unsold food at half of the original price or less. It's a win-win situation for everyone.
Joost Rietveld, Country Director of Australia said, “We're thrilled to launch Too Good To Go starting in Melbourne, with its vibrant food culture and clear recognition of the value of food. Australia’s strong commitment to sustainability makes it the perfect match for our mission to inspire and empower everyone to fight food waste together. We’re excited to invite Aussies to join our movement and start saving their favourite foods from going to waste. We hired a local team to drive our contribution to reduce food waste in Australia. Together, we can make a real impact and create a more sustainable future.”
Here's how the Too Good To Go App works:
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Search Too Good To Go’s Marketplace app for stores nearby that have surplus food available.
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Select a store, reserve a Surprise Bag, and pre-pay.
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Arrive within the pick-up window that the store sets, show your in-app receipt and receive your Surprise Bag to enjoy!
It's no secret that food waste is a massive problem across the globe. From bakeries shovelling unsold bread into bins at the end of the day to supermarkets throwing out fast-expiring stock, it's a heartbreaking sight. Especially when we think about the issues around hunger and food affordability facing disadvantaged communities – not to mention the harmful effect waste has on our climate.
In 2021, the National Food Waste Baseline reported that Australia produces 7.6 million tonnes of food waste per year. That's the equivalent of 312 kilograms per capita. Food waste also contributes to ten per cent of greenhouse gas emissions worldwide. According to research from Project Drawdown, reducing food waste is the number one action people can take to help tackle climate change. The launch of Too Good To Go will support the Australian government’s commitment to halve annual food waste by 2030.
For more details, check out the website or download the app either in the Apple App Store or Google Play for Android.
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