With growing environmental concern, technologies have been created to tackle food waste, benefitting both – customers and businesses. Apps like
connects users with surplus food at a discounted rate. We analyzed the leading apps in the market to share how these apps work, the benefits they offer, and how you can start using them to save money and contribute to a more sustainable food system.
Let’s first explore Too Good To Go. Have you ever felt guilty tossing out leftovers or watching perfectly good food go uneaten, or maybe you’ve even looked at the premade food in a store and wondered where that all goes at the end of the day? If yes, Too Good To Go may be the app for you. Originally founded in 2015 in Copenhagen, this app was designed to reduce food waste in local areas. This app connects its users to local businesses that have a surplus of food that would otherwise go to waste. Businesses like restaurants, cafes, and grocery stores list their surplus food at discounted rates, and users purchase surprise bags containing high-quality items. On the business end, sign up is fairly straightforward, businesses simply fill out a form located on their website in order to get started with the program. The main focus of Too Good To Go is their Surprise Bags. As a customer, this is what you will receive which contains discounted meals or ingredients. Not only does this app save you money, but it also creates a feel-good moment where you know you are directly reducing the amount of food waste in the world. This app creates a win-win situation where companies can avoid large amounts of food waste, while you benefit from receiving quality ingredients at a discounted price. “Too Good to Go” empowers individuals and communities to embrace sustainable habits—one meal at a time.
The next app is Flashfood. Flashfood allows users to find the best deals at their local grocery stores, giving you an in on what items are on sale. Through the platform, you can browse for deals before entering the store, saving you time and money. By offering discounts—up to 50%—on products nearing their sell-by dates, Flashfood benefits both consumers and the planet. Shoppers can browse deals on fresh produce, meats, dairy, and baked goods through the app, pay online, and pick up their orders at designated store locations. This app truly does it all in terms of making grocery shopping more enjoyable. Forget about those pesky coupon books, now you can access it all through your phone, while expediting the process. Flashfood provides a lifeline for those facing food insecurity, with one in five users reporting that the app makes a difference in their ability to afford nutritious groceries. The organization has partnered with grocery stores all over the country and you can use their website to find the store closest to you today!
Food Hero is another app that follows the same concept as Flashfood, connecting you to local grocery stores that are offering discounts on their surplus items. In 2018, Jonathan Defoy was inspired to create a solution after seeing a report on food waste, leading Food Hero to be born in 2019. The app experienced huge growth in 2020, even with the challenges presented by COVID-19, which just goes to show how useful these apps can be for consumers. When you use Food Hero, you simply locate deals at participating stores, reserve their items through the platform, and pick them up in-store. Food Hero can provide discounts that range anywhere from 25-60% percent off. Not only does the app help you save money, it allows grocers to reduce their waste, ultimately contributing to a more sustainable community. The planet wins and your wallet wins! Learn more about this money saving option here.
These apps are all extremely user friendly and provide you with ways to save money and contribute to a more sustainable planet. As prices continue to rise, be sure to take advantage of platforms such as these to get more for your money. Don’t be afraid to try out other apps as well! These are just some of the more well-known platforms that we have tried. Visit their official sites to learn more about each of these options, which include links to download the apps on your mobile phones and start saving today.
