changeadminOne-third of all food produced worldwide gets into the garbage bins and landfills.
This is a statistic that will not delight anyone as food wastage causes immense loss to society, the economy, and the environment. The food wastage problem is across the value chain and spread in all countries.
In the era of digital technologies and innovation, this problem had to be addressed, and what better way than ubiquitous smartphones and mobile applications that can tackle this problem in a most novel way?
We looked around for the mobile apps which are working in food wastage space, our idea was to pick out the ones which are unique and innovative.
Check out these mobile applications that solve food wastage problems from different parts of the world. These apps are available on both Android and IOS.
Country: USA
People in 2 of the most prominent and populous US cities – Boston & NYC can get the best food from over 200 restaurants.
Launched in 2016 with a Kickstarter campaign, the Food for all mobile application allows citizens to buy meals at huge discounts, a few minutes before the restaurant closes down.
Users can simply select and pay for the meal at an extremely low cost, and then go to the respective restaurant to pick up their food.
Country: Korea
Through the app, users can browse meals and food which are sometimes 50% less than the normal rates, and can even get notifications for available food.
Once the food item is selected the user can pay through the app and pick food by showing the QR code. They have plans to add the delivery options in the near future.
Country: Singapore
Singapore students have developed a mobile app to tackle food wastage, with an interesting tagline – “Be notified when there’s free food near you! Don’t let good food go to waste”.
The purpose of the app is to connect people who have food surplus with those who need it. The app informs the users when there is free food available as soon as the one who has extra food. There is a chatbot feature as well to make communication easier and in real-time.
The initiative is led by students from two Singapore-based universities – the National University of Singapore (NSU) and Singapore Management University (SMU), bringing the flavors of technology and business.
Country: Netherlands
NoFoodWasted app comes from the land of the Dutch and allows the users to search for food from a local provider (supermarket, bakery, or restaurant) and then mark it as a favorite.
The company will inform on the day when the selected provider has products available, which can be bought online, and then the user can pick up their order
Country: UK and Spain
One of the most prominent apps in this space is Olio, it facilitates neighbors getting connected with fellow neighbors and local stores for any surplus food items.
The food can include homegrown gardens vegetables, unwanted food, or any surplus food when going on a holiday. Users can take a photo of their item, write a brief description, and provide pick-up details.
A neighbor or another user can browse what is available, request anything which they might need, and send a message to arrange a pick-up.
Country: Sweden
Available in multiple cities across Sweden, the United Kingdom, and France. This award-winning app offers people the ability to find deals from its food eateries partners like restaurants, hotels, groceries, and bakeries.
Users can pay reduced prices and pick up the food as a takeaway from the same eatery by showing the order details on the app.
Final Words
In the end, we would say the food apps create a win-win situation for both the food eateries and the consumers. The customer gets good food for free or at lower prices. Restaurants, grocery stores, cafes, and hotels are able to make some money or give away their extra food and don’t have to worry about its disposal. Overall there is a feeling for anyone involved that they are in a way helping the environment because the food isn’t going to waste
There are many other similar apps that are available in the market, let us know if you find this article useful and want us to bring more such stories.
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