Too Good To Go: Fighting Food Waste One Surprise Bag at a Time

The statistics around food waste and it’s impact are staggering. According to the UNEP Food Waste Index Report 2024, “approximately one-fifth of food produced for human consumption is lost or wasted globally” and this is estimated to be the equivalent of approximately one billion meals per day.

However, I wasn’t thinking about any of this when I downloaded the Too Good To Go app! If you’re unfamiliar, this app connects people to local businesses with surplus food that would otherwise be thrown out. You purchase a “surprise bag” at a discount and help keep food out of landfills.

I was at one of my favourite bakeries recently (see below!) and out of curiosity asked how they produce all of their amazing treats each day, and what they do with any items left at the end of the day. The staff member told me they package remaining items up and post them on Too Good to Go – so I decided to give the app a try!

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A post shared by Sweet Revenge Bakery & Cafe (@sweetrevenge_bakery)

First Impressions of the Too Good To Go App

Downloading the app and setting up a profile were simple and easy! I quickly found several participating restaurants and bakeries in my area, including Sweet Revenge, the one I had joined the app for. I was surprised to see how many stores were offering food – bakeries, cafes, restaurants – in various pick up timing windows.

After finding my bakery fairly easily, I was disappointed to see that there wasn’t anything available that day. However, there was a helpful message on the bakery’s Too Good To Go page giving an estimate of their usual posting time. I refreshed the app until the estimated time and was so happy to see a surprise bag pop up!

The bag cost $4.99 and promised a retail value of $15. Sadly I had hoped to pick it up that evening for a late night dessert, but in this case the pick up wasn’t until the next day. Some pick ups are much quicker, however.

The Pickup Experience

The pickup was smooth: I showed the confirmation on my phone, and the staff handed me a paper bag filled with my treats! Inside were two croissants, and two oatmeal raisin cookies. Though day old they were still delicious, and all headed for the bin if not for this app.

Fighting Food Waste, One Bag at a Time

This experience reminded me again the importance of reducing food waste. According to the UN Environment Programme about 1 billion tons of food are wasted each year – 11 million tonnes in Canada alone.

That’s why apps like Too Good To Go—and simple actions we can take—matter so much. For more practical ways to reduce food waste, check out some of our past blog posts. As a bonus, these ideas are often budget-helpers too!

• Why Food Waste is a Big Deal and How to Prevent It
• 6 Fantastic Organizations Working to Reduce Food Waste and Scarcity
• Save on Groceries with a Pantry Challenge

Even more reasons to use Too Good to Go

Reducing food waste isn’t just about saving money (though that’s a great perk!). It also helps:

• Lower greenhouse gas emissions
• Reduce pressure on landfills
• Conserve resources like water and energy used in food production

Summary of environmental and economic impacts of food waste that can be mitigated by taking small steps toward reducing waste:

Final Thoughts

Using the Too Good To Go app for the first time was a fun, budget-friendly way to fight food waste and try something new. I’ll definitely be using it again—and I encourage you to try it too!

Have you tried Too Good To Go?

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