You’d think it would be difficult for a country to have concurrent obesity and food waste problems, but lo and behold, America has figured out how to accomplish exactly that.
But a new solution to at least one of those problems (food waste; for the other, we recommend getting off your ass) could be on the horizon by way of our friends across the pond.
Too Good To Go is a recently released app that lets users buy and consume the food restaurants typically throw away at the end of the day. It’s a simple idea, and one that’s allowing conscious eateries all over Europe to sell back food that otherwise would’ve seen the dumpster.
And while the company has no imminent plans to expand to the U.S., it could be exactly what we need.
The U.S. alone wastes a stunning 133 billion pounds of food a year. And according to a new national survey drawn up by scientific journal PLOS One, more than half of Americans say they’re fully aware of the problem of food waste, but, as Bloomberg put it, are too “busy” to do anything about it.
Taking a national sample of 500 people, the survey found that 42 percent of participants who admit to throwing away food also say they’re not willing to take any action to stop it. The numbers don’t lie. We’ve got a s*itty attitude towards what’s quickly becoming an epidemic. Which is why an app that makes it dead simple to help curb food waste — while also saving users a few dimes on dinner — could go a long way.
Too Good To Go works like so: U.K. diners choose a restaurant from the app. They pay in advance for a portion, then collect their food at the end of the day.
It’s straightforward, easy and delicious.
Here’s hoping it arrives stateside before long.
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