Too Good To Go

Too Good To Go: an innovative app helping to tackle the issue of food waste
 
If you’re a keen and regular reader of our newsletter, you’ll remember that last month we promised we would be continuing to highlight the efforts we make here to contribute to the circular economy as best we can.
 
This month under the spotlight is our recent addition as a supplier on The Too Good To Go app.
 
The Too Good to Go project came to life in response to the distressing reality of food waste, an issue which pervades not just our homes, but the entire food and retail industry. From the point of production, one third of all food produced finds itself going to waste - whether that be at some point along the supply chain, or at its destination point in our homes, shops and restaurants.
 
Here at The Urban Co-op, we maintain a direct connection with so many local food suppliers. We find it particularly affecting to imagine that, after the effort and time and care that goes into producing food for this planet, so much of it ends up just going to waste. In the spirit of transparency, we are, of course, guilty of contributing to food waste. As a grocery shop, it can be unavoidable - it would be a case of matching our ordering absolutely perfectly with what our customers buy on a daily basis. Safe to say, this is impossible. While we do constantly tweak our ordering in efforts to avoid too much going to waste, it can naturally occur that we are left with unsold fresh foods at the end of the day - fruits, vegetables, meat and dairy.
 
This is where the Too Good to Go app comes in. We, the retailer, register with the app. At the end of each day you, the customer, can log in and order a “Magic Bag”. You pay €3.99 for high quality produce that would otherwise add up to roughly the value of €12. We put together bits and pieces that would otherwise be on its last legs if left another day on the shelf, and you collect it before the shop closes.
 
Using the Too Good To Go app has made us, and hopefully our customers, feel that we are helping combat food waste in some small way. It can also be such a fun experiment in flexing your culinary skills - by collecting a food box with no prior knowledge of what it will contain, you’ll be forced to be inventive! These small actions might not be the silver bullet needed to tackle the bigger issues, but action begets action. Keeping our enthusiasm and pride in what we believe in alive by committing these small yet meaningful acts is hugely important - and you never know what small steps can eventually lead to.

Kelly Girardi
Instagram @kelly_girardi
Linktree kelly_girardi

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