Overview:
• Too Good To Go has launched in Cincinnati to combat food waste and promote sustainability by connecting consumers with local businesses offering surplus food at half price.
• With a food waste crisis contributing to climate change and local food insecurity, this initiative aims to save resources and reduce methane emissions.
• Ohioans can access the app to purchase 'Surprise Bags' filled with surplus food while supporting local businesses and the environment.
By Badees Nouioua
Reducing food waste going to the landfill can be achieved by following the EPA Wasted Food Scale, and prioritizing prevention, recovery, recycling and composting in that order.
The City needs to prioritize these surplus-food strategies in conjunction with leveraging public-private partnerships and city systems to minimize organics in our landfill. With a food insecurity rate of 33%, Cincinnati must become a better steward of our resources and each other. By taking robust action, we can support both the environment and our citizens.
According to the City of Cincinnati’s latest study, Cincinnati sent nearly 75,000 tons of waste to landfills in one year, of which 16.8%, or 12,592 tons, was food waste. Nationwide, nearly 40% of food is wasted every year.
All of this organic waste contributes to methane, a powerful greenhouse gas which is harmful to the environment and drives climate change. Cincinnati needs to reduce the amount of organics residents and businesses are sending to the landfill.
Too Good To Go, the world’s largest marketplace for surplus food, officially launched in Cincinnati on Aug. 14, with the mission of reducing food waste everywhere it occurs.
Cincinnati is part of a broader Ohio-wide launch, which also includes Cleveland and Columbus. Ohio residents can filter by their location to see what surplus food is available to be saved in their area.
Local Cincinnati partners include Coffia Coffee Shop, Boards & Beez and The Market are partners in reducing this waste. With more partners added weekly, Cincinnati residents are encouraged to check back often to see what new stores have joined and what delicious new Surprise Bags are ready to be saved.
How it works:
Too Good to Go connects food businesses with surplus food to consumers who can purchase Surprise Bags of that food for 1/2 the retail cost.
Users simply download the Too Good To Go app, browse through local restaurants in their area that have surplus food, and pick up a bag in store. Due to the unpredictable nature of surplus food, users won’t know exactly what will be in the bag, but can get a general idea by looking at the menu items of the business providing the food.
Too Good To Go’s solution helps consumers to save money on food they would otherwise buy for full price, helps the businesses recoup some of the revenue they would lose by throwing out surplus food and helps to save the dangerous environmental impacts of food waste.
Since Too Good To Go began operations in the U.S. in 2021, the social impact company has saved over 13 million meals from becoming another statistic. However, there is still much to save. This newest expansion across the Buckeye State gives Ohioans an opportunity to make an impact, both locally, and nationwide.