Too Good To Go app is keeping food out of local landfills

Less than two years since it came to Waterloo Region, the Too Good To Go app has saved over 65, 000 meals from ending up in the landfill.

Close to 235 local businesses have partnered with the app, with more signing up every week.

“It’s a really good trajectory for a region of that size and were really seeing a lot of people turn to food waste apps to find lower costs and also for those businesses to recoup some revenue.” said Sarah Soteroff, senior public relations manager for the Too Good to Go app.

Since the app’s initial launch in Toronto three years ago, about 4 million meals have been saved across the country.

Businesses can look through their surplus food and create specific bags or “surprise bags” for purchase, listing them on the app for about a third of the original price. Consumers can pick what they want and pick up the bag at a designated time.

“If you put in your location when you download the app it will show you what’s available in your region and then that will really allow you to pick up food that is local to you. We don’t want people driving 30 to 40 kilometres,” said Soteroff.

Almost every Tim Horton’s location across Canada has signed up with the app, added Soteroff.

“Metro has a number of bags that are really useful for people who are looking to feed families, like a dairy bag, a meat bag, breads and other items from the bakery which really helps to supplement that food that you would buy full price.”

The app is free to use and download, consumers only pay for what they purchase.

The options for what you can or can’t purchase change throughout the day, depending on supply of surplus food. Consumers can use the app multiple times in a day.