Posted On: May 3, 2024

How Grocery Apps Addressing Food Waste and Donations

Today, grocery apps have revolutionized the way we shop groceries. They provide greater convenience to consumers but also come with a hidden cost of food wastage so here we are to discuss about addressing food waste and donations.

According to UN Food Index Report 2024, an average of 79kg of food is wasted per person annually. About 82.8 crore people globally sleep on empty stomachs, leading to social and environmental consequences that can’t be overlooked.

This raises a question of concern; how do grocery apps contribute to addressing the critical issue of food wastage while offering food supplies?

In this blog, let’s explore the role of grocery delivery apps in addressing food wastage and facilitating donations.

How Grocery Apps Contribute to Reduce Food Waste?

Grocery apps make a difference in reducing food wastage. Here, we have mentioned the top 5 ways these apps addressing food waste and donations. Have a look:

• Dynamic Pricing

By offering great deals or discounts on items that are about to expire, stores can inspire consumers to buy and use them before they’re wasted. This can reduce the chances of food wastage.

• Inventory Management

Using tech like AI and ML, grocery apps can modernize inventory management. This tech can analyze past sales data and consumer behavior to predict future demands for specific items. It can help stores and business owners manage precise quantities of items, reducing extra supply waste. Later, this optimization checks that the product is stocked efficiently and results in minimized food wastage.

• Consumer Guidance

Many consumers don’t know how to store food correctly, and how long it remains fresh, how “sell by” and “use by” dates differ. However, grocery delivery apps share knowledge and educate consumers about proper food storage and shopping smartly.

• Awareness Campaign

Launching awareness campaigns within the app can raise consciousness about food waste. Using in-app notifications, ad campaigns, and recent statistics can empower consumers to reduce food wastage.

• Meal Planning and Recipe Suggestions

Grocery apps can integrate features like meal planning and recipe suggestions based on consumer’s purchased items. These suggested recipes using leftovers or surplus ingredients can promote resourcefulness, minimizing household food wastage.

Facilitating Food Donation: A Social Responsibility

While controlling food waste is essential, there will always be some surplus food. Here are some ways grocery apps can bridge the gap between abundance and need:

• Partnership with Food Banks

Grocery apps can collaborate with local food banks and non-profit agencies to simplify the donation of nearing-expiry items or surplus food. This food can be later donated to those in need. Partnerships make sure efficient distribution of leftover food and reduce waste.

• Direct Donation Feature

Grocery apps can be integrated with a “donate” option, allowing consumers to donate a portion of their purchase directly to food banks. This feature will empower them to contribute directly to solving hunger issues.

• Food Delivery for Donation

The grocery delivery apps can promote efficient food donation pickups and drop-offs to consumers donating food. The app can use geolocation to connect stores with nearby food banks accepting donations. This ensures that surplus food reaches those who need it.

• Transparency & Impact Tracking

Consumers should be well informed of their contribution through the platform. Providing real-time updates on donated food and its impact can make people feel good and more socially responsible.

Case Study of Grocery Apps In Addressing Food Waste

1. Flashfood

Flashfood is an app that partners with wholesale grocery vendors to offer discounted groceries that are extra or close to their sell-by dates. It helps consumers to buy groceries at low prices, which results in huge money saving money and less food wastage. The app is freely available on the App Store and Play Store.

Some of its popular features are:

• Discounts and Offers- Up to 50% off on surplus and best-before-date foods.
• Impact Tracking- This feature enables consumers to see the environmental impact of their purchase (reduced CO2 and greenhouse gas emissions) by lowering food wastage.
• Real-time Updates- This feature provides in-app notifications and updates on available deals, ensuring users can get the deal before they expire.

2. Olio

The Olio app connects users nearby to share food, books, clothes, toys, and other materials. This app aims to reduce household and food waste by sharing, getting, borrowing, or lending things to one another. The app is available on Google Play Store and the App Store.

Popular features of this app are:

• Rescue Me Stickers- Such stickers help to inform consumers when something is expiring soon.
• Karma Points- Consumers can earn karma points for contributing to the community or environment positively.
• Donate-This feature allows users to donate extra food to charities and request a pay-as-you-feel donation to the charity of their choice.

3. Too Good To Go

It’s a popular app that connects consumers to stores and restaurants with surplus food. Consumers can order “surprise bags” of extra food at discounted prices. This help save money and also, rescue food wastage. The app is available for free at App Store and Play Store.

Features of this app are:

• Schedule Time to Collect Food – Users can collect rescued food by scheduling a pre-set time.
• Discounted Price – The app offers users reduced or discounted prices on the purchase of unsold food items.
• Preference Filters – Users can set their dietary preferences filter like vegan, vegetarian, non-vegetarian, and eggetarian, ensuring that the surprise food bag aligns with their dietary needs.

Conclusion

Grocery apps create a significant impact on people in addressing food waste and donations to demolishing hunger in society.

Considering social responsibility through these above-mentioned ways, grocery delivery apps can drive positive change and create a more sustainable and environment-friendly future for all.