Total 482 words used.
Flashfood is an app-based marketplace that strives to eliminate retail food waste by connecting consumers with discounted food. The app offers consumers big savings on everyday grocery items like meat, fish, dairy and fresh produce while diverting harmful food waste from reaching landfills.
Grocers populate the app with high-quality groceries that are in surplus or nearing their best-by date, offered at a 50% discount. Shoppers then browse Flashfood, make their purchase directly in the app and pick up their items in-store immediately. This convenience allows customers to complete their grocery shopping with other store items without additional trips.
Food waste is a global problem that happens at every point in the supply chain. It’s a massive contributor to GHG emissions, with estimates showing 8-10% of global GHG emissions are associated with food that’s not consumed. In the US, 38% of all food goes unsold or uneaten, and most of that goes to waste with only a small amount donated or recycled (ReFED, 2022). When food goes to landfill, it breaks down and produces methane - a greenhouse gas 80 times more powerful than CO2 over a 20 year time frame.
Approximately 13% of the world’s food waste is created by retail operations, and the absolute amount of waste is significant because retailers handle enormous volumes of food. This is also a huge amount in lost revenue in the food system, representing $26 billion in lost economic value at the retail level.
Eliminating food waste at retail level could not only significantly reduce the harmful GHG and methane emissions contributing to climate change, but conserve the natural resources and energy pouring into food production, all while addressing the connected problems of hunger and food insecurity. Zero food waste would mean that food could be redirected to people who need it, helping retailers to reduce food insecurity and improve the overall health and well-being of the communities they serve.
People live better and happier lives when they have access to fresh food, and our planet desperately needs us to shift into a new gear. A world without food waste is a world with a more sustainable, equitable food system.
Flashfood’s impact to-date has been remarkable. Since launch in late 2018, Flashfood has diverted nearly 100 million pounds of waste from landfill. In addition, Flashfood has saved its customers $200 million on grocery bills at a time when food prices are at an all-time high and many Americans are struggling to feed their families.
By diverting food waste at the retail level, Flashfood is helping grocery stores recover lost profits and reduce the amount of food they send to landfills – thereby reducing their environmental footprint. In addition, Flashfood is helping families across the country get access to more affordable, high-quality groceries. Many of these families are purchasing meat, fish, dairy and other nutritious food more frequently than they otherwise would be able to afford.
Nomination Title: Flashfood
