4 Apps To Help You Cut Down On Food Waste

This is a staggering amount, which has a knock-on environmental impact. A lot of this waste will end up in landfills producing methane, contributing to global warming. There’s also a moral element; according to the UN, one in nine people in the world (that’s 815 million) are undernourished, and yet so much food in developed countries is being wasted without a second thought.

The statistics are overwhelming, so it can be hard to know how you as an individual can make a difference. Luckily, help is on the way with just the touch of a button – these are some of the best apps you can use to reduce food waste.

The concept behind OLIO is simple – it uses technology to connect those with too much food with those who need it. If you have leftover food, you can post a picture of it on the app and another user will soon get in contact with you if they want it.

You can upload any type of food to the app so long as it’s edible. You can organise to either pick up the food in public places – some supermarkets like Sainsbury’s has collection points – or privately. The app can be used by individual people, but also businesses with surplus food.

The main benefits of OLIO are twofold: It minimises food wastage, as well as helping people who maybe can’t afford to buy food themselves. The app is used in scores of countries from the UK and Ireland to Jordan and Taiwan.

Too Good To Go is similar to OLIO, but instead connects stores with individuals, and food isn’t entirely free. Shops and businesses tend to work on a surplus, so this is an opportunity for them to sell their leftover food through the app instead of throwing it away.

Too Good To Go says if food waste were a country it would be the third largest emitter of CO2 behind the USA and China, asking the question: “With so much being done to tackle CO2 emissions in these countries, why are we forgetting about food waste?”

If you’re a business it means you don’t waste leftover food – saving you money and helping the environment – and consumers can buy perfectly good meals for a discounted price. The app is used in nine countries at the moment, from the UK to the Netherlands.