Surplus food marketplace app, Too Good To Go, is setting up shop in Sydney, doubling its Australian presence since launching in Melbourne in August. Users of the app in Australia have saved over 25,000 meals since then – avoiding the equivalent of 67,500 kg of carbon dioxide emissions.
Food systems are estimated to be responsible for around a third of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions, half of which is caused by food loss and waste. In Australia, food waste is a multi-billion dollar problem, with over 7.6 million tonnes of food wasted annually, 70 per cent of which is still edible.
Started in Denmark in 2016, Too Good To Go aims to help households and businesses halve Australia’s annual food waste by 2030, in line with the National Food Waste Strategy.
The free mobile app allows users to purchase a Surprise Bag of food, that would have otherwise been thrown to waste, at a reduced price from a range of bakeries, cafes, restaurants, grocery stores and other food businesses. Adding to the 150 partners in Melbourne, a number of local Sydney favourites have joined the platform for its launch.
Too Good To Go country director of Australia, Joost Rietveld, said launching in Sydney is an important step for the company’s goals.
“We have seen an incredible response from Australians so far, with over 130,000 people downloading the app, eager to make a difference and start saving food. We are calling on all Sydneysiders to join the movement and make an impact on the growing food waste problem,” said Rietveld.
“We have seen a considerable response from businesses across Melbourne and Sydney, eager to also reduce their food surplus by joining the platform. We know Australia has a strong commitment to sustainability and the food business industry is stepping up to do its bit, making changes to reduce their impact on the food waste issue.”
The Too Good To Go Surprise Bag leverages the unpredictability of surplus food and food waste by enabling businesses the flexibility to save any and all food at the end of the day, including prepared food, fresh produce and baked items that would otherwise be thrown away.
Food businesses are able to generate income from stock that would have otherwise been discarded to waste, and Too Good To Go app users get quality food from great locations at a reduced price during a cost of living crisis, with the environmental benefit of reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
The success of Too Good To Go in Melbourne has attracted some notable businesses in the food industry such as Bakers Delight, Harris Farm Markets and Sushi Sushi to join the marketplace and pioneer in an effort to reach their ESG goals and make an impact on their food waste.
Bakers Delight joint CEO Elise Gillespie, said the company has introduced a number of initiatives in recent years to help manage food waste responsibly, and is enthusiastic about trialling the Too Good To Go concept in 30 of its Sydney-based bakeries.
“We believe this initiative will be a great way for our bakeries to reduce food wastage, whilst delivering a bit of extra delight to our customers at the end of the day,” said Gillespie.
The Too Good To Go App already has more than 100 million registered users in 19 countries, helping to save more than 350 million meals since 2016. Sydney’s launch doubles down on Too Good To Go’s third continental expansion, with other cities set to continue this roll out.
