World Hunger is on the rise; yet, an estimated ⅓ of all food produced globally is lost and goes to waste. We all have a part to play in reducing food loss and waste, not only for the sake of the food but for the resources that go into it. According to Euro Food Bank, around 88 million tonnes of food are wasted annually in the EU and its associated costs is estimated at 143 billion euros. All actors in the food chain have a role to play in preventing and reducing food waste, from those who produce and process foods (farmers, food manufacturers and processors) to those who make foods available for consumption (hospitality sector and retailers), food banks and other organizations recovering surplus food for redistributing it to the most deprived, and ultimately the consumers themselves.
Wasting food is not only an ethical and economic issue but it also depletes in the environment of limited natural resources. As it is stated by the European Commission, “food waste is an increasing concern in Europe. The production, distribution and storage of food uses natural resources and generates environmental impacts. Discarding food that is still edible increases these impacts, and causes financial loss for consumers and the economy. Food waste also has an important social angle: donation of food that is still edible but that for logistic or marketing reasons cannot be commercialised should be facilitated.”
Our experience with Too Good To Go
A few weeks ago we were celebrating a birthday here at TAPP Water and we decided to try the application Too Good To Go. It’s an application where restaurants, supermarkets and bakeries can sign up and the consumer can buy ‘surprise packs’ which the venue puts together at the end of the day with what is left. We decided to buy freshly caught fish which we picked up with our own tuppers, we then cooked and shared the meal over a couple of beers here in the office.
The application itself is very user-friendly and you can choose to save leftovers from restaurants, shops and/or bakeries. They also encourage you to bring your own tuppers when you pick up the food to avoid the use of single use containers, which we absolutely love! Keeping previous statistics in mind, initiatives like Too Good To Go can really encourage everyone in the food chain to become more conscious.
Our experience when using Too Good To Go was great! We loved how easy everything went, that we almost didn’t spend a cent and that instead of buying new food we saved food that was about to go to waste. A birthday more than fulfilled!
