New Zealand throws out roughly 50,000 tonnes of food waste each year. Furthermore, one-third of food produced for human consumption is wasted; Foodprint, a new app designed to tackle the food wastage problem, has arrived.
Foodprint connects hungry customers with half-price food that would otherwise be thrown out. The practical and easy-to-use app allows customers to browse nearby restaurants and cafés, and purchase food through the app for later pick-up. The app is updated every day, and consumers can filter the type, price, and the location of their food/food search. While some restaurants and cafés already implement similar schemes, Foodprint allows users to see exactly where the food is, and how much it will cost. It also normalises this sort of environmentally-responsible practice, encouraging others to get involved. Businesses involved in Foodprint already include Mexico, Little Bird Organics, &Sushi, and Williams Eatery. Not only does Foodprint offer consumers cheaper food, and businesses a way of minimising waste and increasing profits, it tracks how much carbon consumers have reduced through using the app. This sort of feature is something that establishments can use as advertising and promotional material.
Foodprint founder, Michal Garvey, said that food waste is a massive concern for food businesses, both environmentally and financially. “A lot of eateries in Auckland are owner-operated so they really can’t afford to be putting stuff in the bin, unfortunately sometimes they have a slow day, and sometimes they’re sold out by midday, it’s really hard to tell.”
“It’s really disrespectful when we put food in the bin. It’s disrespectful to everyone who’s produced that food; someone has grown that food, someone’s prepared it, it’s been transported, it’s gone through many different stages before it gets to that point of being an actual item that is edible. Key to that, it’s disrespectful to the environment because when it’s thrown out, it’s decomposing and emitting methane—a huge driver of climate change.” Foodprint has been developed by 7 Glyphs, an agency that specialises in mobile and web applications.
The food that Foodprint offers is comprised of a vast variety of eateries across Auckland, and Garvey assures that the food is perfect for consumption. “It’s perfectly edible; it’s the same as if you walked in and purchased it. But due to the fact it’s been a slow day, or it’s something that has been generally rejected for cosmetic reasons, like a piece of cake that’s broken, it can still be sold and tastes just as good.”
Foodprint is currently only available in Auckland, but the hope is that it will soon expand around the country. The app is available on both the Apple App Store and Google Play. To find out more and to download the app, visit, www.foodprint.app.
