An Instagram user has her followers intrigued with footage of the inexpensive meals she has gotten through a smartphone app meant to help reduce food waste in the restaurant industry.
In a recent post, Bex (@thankyou.thriftagain) showed off an app called Too Good to Go, an app that invites users to explore nearby restaurants and grocery stores that sell their leftover food at a reduced price.
🗣️ What's your biggest motivation in trying to reduce your personal food waste?
🔘 Saving money 💰
🔘 Helping the planet 🌎
🔘 Not being a wasteful person 😇
🔘 I don't think about reducing food waste 🤷
🗳️ Click your choice to see results and speak your mind
Here's how it works: At the end of each day, restaurants and grocery stores identify surplus food that they'll give away at a smaller cost.
The food is placed in a "surprise bag" that customers reserve and purchase for a bargain without knowing what the bag will contain — it's all about the luck of the draw.
While customers don't get to choose what products they'll receive, the surprise bags, which often contain hefty portions, typically cost between $4 and $6 dollars in the U.S.
"The food is based on your location, so I've been to a Chinese, Jamaican, Ethiopian, and fish & chips places so far," Bex says in the video, showing off the many cheap, delicious meals she was able to secure through the service.
Too Good to Go is a certified B-Corp and was recently awarded the Carbon Neutral+ label from Planetly for its sustainable business practices.
According to the app's website, over 68 million people have used Too Good to Go to find meals and snacks. The company also recently celebrated saving 100 million meals across 17 countries.
"I love @toogoodtogo.usa! I love picking stuff up from local groceries and bakeries," one user commented.
"I use it too! It hasn't failed me yet and it's always a surprise," another said.
Some users, however, lamented that the service either had not yet reached their city or that options seemed limited.
"Downloaded this a while ago but there weren't any locations near me yet," one user wrote. "I should check it again!"
"All I have are coffee shops," wrote another.
According to Feeding America, 108 billion pounds of food is wasted in the U.S. annually. That equates to 130 billion meals and more than $408 billion in food thrown away each year.
When that food ends up in landfills, it rots and produces potent methane gas, a powerful contributor to the overheating of our planet.
The World Wildlife Fund estimates that about 6% to 8% of all human-caused greenhouse gas pollution could be reduced if we stopped wasting food.
By diverting perfectly good food from landfills and serving it to hungry customers at a discount, Too Good to Go is lessening the amount of food in landfills, all while supporting local businesses and residents.
Join our free newsletter for easy tips to save more, waste less, and help yourself while helping the planet.
Cool Picks
