Food waste is a huge problem all around. In Italy alone, each family wastes on average 4.91 euros worth of food a week. Taking into account all Italian families, the number jumps to around 6.5 billion euros per year.
That is not even considering the wasted created by the food industry in the manufacturing process – from production to distribution, which amount 3.3 billion euros. This data was compiled in 2020 by the Osservatorio Waste Watcher, which, since 2014, monitors the habits of Italians regarding food management and waste.
Food Waste, a Global Problem
It is estimated that of all food produced worldwide, one-third ends up in the garbage bin.
If this very large quantity of food were a nation, it would be the third largest producer of climate altering gas emissions in the world, preceded only by China and the United States.
Consequently, food waste raises both ethical and environmental issues. In fact, for every kilogram of food wasted, the water, energy and other resources used to produce it are also lost, further increasing waste.
A Change of Course is Possible
In 2020 the data from the Osservatorio Waste Watcher showed a positive trend.
osservatorio waste watcher
Food waste decreased by 25% compared to the year before. On average, in the year 2020, Italians “only” wasted 27 Kg. of food per capita –3.6 Kg. less compared to 2019.
It is worth noting that an estimated 53% of the total food waste happens at home, making the need to adopt our habits and practices imperative in order to put a stop to this problem, which has great environmental, social and economic impact.
There are many “technologically advanced”, anti-waste companies that, thanks to the “modern” image have helped steer society on a path to more prudent and responsible consumption.
It is thanks to the “game effect” and to the wave of trends that many people have unwittingly contributed to reducing food waste by starting to buy food on alternative distribution channels.
Fight Waste with Too Good To Go
In line with this philosophy, Too Good To Go was born in 2015. A Danish start-up (certified B-Corp), which arrived in Italy in 2017 and has made the fight against food waste the cornerstone of its business.
To Good To Go is an app that, through a search platform and an online purchase button, allows new waste warriors to buy, at an attractive price, the unsold products of bars, restaurants, pizzerias, pastry shops and supermarkets that adhere to the initiative.
The food to be “saved” is a surprise; the buyer does not know exactly what he or she will receive inside their magic box, which is packed based on what fresh or about-to-expire products are available.
This is a winning idea. To date, in Italy, more than 12 thousand clubs and shops have joined the initiative, and more than three million people have taken advantage of the service. A small gesture that, multiplied by millions, has created a real movement.
A Pact Against Food Waste
The small steps that we can take to reduce food waste in our daily life are many:
- To check what we have at home and plan shopping accordingly
- To check the products’ expiration date
- To use waste in the kitchen (Too Good To Go has a blog where one can find lots of tips)
- To share what one can’t consume.
In 2021, Too Good To Go introduced the “Pact against food waste”, a commitment that involves, along the individual initiative, companies and political decision-makers in the objective of combatting food was.
The common commitment to this goal is to reduce waste and make the most of available resources, which can only be beneficial to everybody, from the individual citizen to the large corporation.
We are all inhabitants of the same planet, and we all share the same resources. It is imperative that we take care of it together, because – as the Too Good To Go campaign states, “a pact for the environment is a pact for you.”
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