# 7 THE STORY OF Too Good To Go - ZERO WASTE CONSUMPTION & PRODUCTION - Zero Waste Europe
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THE STORY OF Too Good To Go ZERO WASTE CONSUMPTION & PRODUCTION #7 3,5 years after saving its first meal in Copenhagen, the company Too Good To Go has now saved 29 million meals and avoided the equivalent of more than 72,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions, the equivalent of 15,000 vehicles driven for one year. Through a community of 18 million users called “waste warriors” and 38,000 restaurants, supermarkets and cafes in 14 countries, the company is managing to save one meal per second and is continuing to expand year after year.
CONTEXT bakeries is sold at a lower price, From Denmark’s capital, the idea
the goal was to generate revenue quickly spread, with users and
One third of all food produced from food that would have entrepreneurs alike seeing the
today ends up in a bin, where otherwise been wasted. By doing appeal of it. This was especially
it is at best fed to animals or so, the company effectively acts true in France, Norway, and the
recycled, and at worst it is on around 17% of the total food UK, where the model was quickly
sent to landfill or incineration. waste in Europe by providing replicated. The company then
Not only does this issue pose beneficial solutions at the food quickly expanded into many
serious ethical and social service, wholesale and retail European countries such as
questions, but it also deeply levels. Poland, Austria, Switzerland,
threatens the environment. Portugal, Belgium and the
Food waste is responsible for Netherlands.
10% of all global greenhouse
gas emissions and 28% of HOW DID IT ALL BEGIN? The rationale behind Too Good
agricultural lands worldwide to Go is simple; to connect
are used to produce food Founded in 2015, Too Good consumers with businesses
that’s destined to be ultimately To Go saved its first meal in whose products would
wasted. At the European level, Copenhagen in March 2016. The otherwise have gone unsold
the average citizen wastes initial idea of the founders was and been disposed of. Now,
around 92kg of food every year, to focus on food that became after four years, its success can
contributing to one third of the waste at the end of buffets. be measured in having moved
yearly waste generation per Whilst developing this concept, from one city to 14 countries,
capita1. Furthermore, there is they quickly realised that it 29 million meals being saved
the financial cost of food waste, could be extended to all kinds of through the mobile application,
estimated to be 143 billion euros food service providers such as and its more than 18 million
per year in Europe. restaurants and cafes, bakeries users.
and hotels.
Therefore, if food waste has an
economic cost, preventing it has The vision behind Too Good
economic benefits. That is the To Go has remained the same
bet the Too Good To Go founders since the beginning: fighting
took. By creating a system where food waste by inspiring and
food surplus from restaurants, empowering everyone to fight
hotels, supermarkets and food waste together.
1. FUSIONS. “Estimates of European Food Waste Levels.” European Commission, 2016.
ABOUT THE COMPANY WHAT DOES IT DO? is mostly for restaurants,
bakeries, supermarkets, hotels
The company is still Too Good To Go’s primary goal and canteens. For Too Good
headquartered where it all is to fight the growing issue of To Go, this is a “win-win-win
began, in Copenhagen, with local food waste. To do so, it provides solution” allowing businesses
offices in 14 countries now2. a solution for food service to make money out of food
Sweden became the most providers to sell their food which would be otherwise
recent country to join in January surplus which otherwise would wasted whilst reaching new
2020. Although it is present have been wasted at the end of customers, and consumers to
in many countries, Too Good the business day. However, the access food at affordable prices
To Go remains one entity, with app is just one way the company to reduce food waste, all parties
everything gathered under one fights food waste, as it also having a positive impact on the
global holding. This means that directly encourages households, environment.
the company has no franchises schools and policy-makers to
and that all local entities are change their behaviour and aims
part of the global structure. Each to influence legislation that will
entity has a country manager reduce food waste further.
coordinating operations with a
local team.
The Business to Consumer
The company generates revenue (B2C) Platform
from two main streams, the
business partners active on the After four years, Too Good
platform: To Go is now the world’s
largest Business To Consumer
1. pay a yearly subscription to Platform aiming to fight food
Too Good To Go waste. This is via a mobile app
where businesses can add
2. pay a small commission the food surplus they have,
fee to Too Good To Go for and consumers can view the
each meal sold. offer available. The application
2. Netherlands, France, Denmark, Portugal, Belgium, Poland, Switzerland, Austria, Spain, Sweden, Norway, Germany, Italy and the United
Kingdom.
The Movement Against Food storing and cooking. The overall 4th pillar:
Waste goal is also for citizens to regain It focuses on public affairs. The
an understanding of the value of company wants to engage with
The company’s overall vision is food, and to make the issue more policy-makers to make sure the
“a planet with no food waste”. visible. right regulatory framework is
To achieve this, it is actively adopted to reduce food waste
empowering and inspiring 2nd pillar: and enable change to make food
everyone to fight food waste It targets businesses, with systems more sustainable.
together by building a movement the aim of going beyond just
comprised of four pillars. On top retail and food services to
of its direct impact, achieved address food waste and losses
through the app, it also has happening further upstream
an indirect impact through the in the food value chain. It
four pillars, each with different contains plans to improve the
targets to be met at the end of sustainability agendas of the
2020. 38,000 businesses partners the
company already works with.
1st pillar:
It specifically targets households, 3rd pillar:
as almost half the food wasted in The 3rd pillar focuses on
Europe happens at this stage. schools, targeting younger
The pillar provides educational generations with the creation
messages with tips and tricks of educational toolkits that
that can reduce food waste on contain exercises and guides for
a daily basis by better buying, teachers.
TOO GOOD TO GO MOBILE waste to optimising the general Additionally, the app keeps evolving
APPLICATION functioning costs or corporate and adding more functionalities,
social responsibility guidelines. such as the vegetarian option or
After downloading the app, users When businesses pre estimate the the possibility to bookmark your
have access to a range of meals amount of surplus food available, favourite stores.
available nearby. They can either they do it according to their general
view what’s close by or search planning, as offers appear the day
for specific meals with different before. In cases the store in fact
options, such as collection time, sells every meal and is left without
location or type of food, for surplus, the customer’s order is
instance vegan or vegetarian. Once cancelled, and a reimbursement
they select their option, users is issued.
receive a receipt which needs to
be presented to the shop in order Regarding other types of waste,
to receive the food bag. Typically, such as the packaging used to
consumers will have access to a contain the food, the company
3 to 5 euro “magic bag” with an encourages its partners to allow
original value of 10 to 15 euro, consumers to bring their own
being able to buy food that’s worth containers as much as possible.
three times the amount they paid. On the mobile application,
consumers can easily access
The app is now available for information, store by store, as
more than 38,000 restaurants, to whether they can do this. For
supermarkets, hotels, bakeries some stores, it is not possible to
and canteens using it every month do so either because the food has
in 14 European countries. There to be packaged well beforehand –
are two ways for businesses to the case for most supermarkets
become part of the Too Good To Go – or because national or local
system. In the first instance, the regulations do not allow it. In these
company receives spontaneous cases, Too Good To Go offers to
requests, currently from around provide the store with packaging
3,000 businesses every month. made of FSC3 and/or kraft paper.
In addition, Too Good To Go has All businesses joining the platform
a team dedicated to market are in direct communication with
analysis, identifying stores which Too Good To Go staff and benefit
would most benefit from joining from an onboarding session with
the platform and helping those the company’s team. To maintain
stores to better optimise and the quality of food and experience
avoid potential food waste. For on the app, Too Good To Go also
those businesses, the motivations works with partners who have
behind joining the platform received below-expectation user
are different, ranging from the reviews to improve the experience
environmental impacts of food for both parties.
3. Forest Stewardship Council standards
WHAT ARE THE RESULTS and a positive operating profit emissions avoided4.
SO FAR? in most mature markets. In
2019 it expects its net profit In February 2019 they reached
The assumption behind Too to be negative due to planned a milestone of 10 million meals
Good To Go is that there is a reinvestments and new country saved, already an impressive
way to turn an environmental launches. figure, but by October 2019
issue such as food waste into a they doubled this reaching 20
winning situation for everyone, Is this profitable regarding job million showing just how fast
by creating jobs, generating creation? the company is growing.
revenue, reducing food waste
and diminishing its impacts on At the end of 2019, the company
the environment. was employing close to 500
people across Europe. At the
Is this profitable for the end of 2018, Too Good To Go was
company? employing 200 people, meaning
employee growth over the past
Too Good To Go is a hyper- year has been at 150%.
growth company. Its outreach
has grown exponentially whilst Is this profitable for the
revenues have increased 200% environment?
Y-O-Y in 2019 compared to
2018, reaching almost 38,000 After 3,5 years, Too Good To
partners, and more than 18 Go has saved 29 million meals
million users. The company from the bin, resulting in 66,000
turns a positive gross profit tonnes of greenhouse gas
4. 1 meal equals 1 kilogram of food on average, which corresponds to 2.5 kilogram of GHG emissions.
WHAT’S NEXT? GOING FURTHER
The company’s goal is to continue Too Good To Go is the perfect
developing the app and extend its example of an innovative win-win
outreach to other countries. But solution which is also helping
looking beyond that, Too Good to solve environmental issues.
To Go also has the ambition to However, as well as the app, Too
tackle food waste all along the Good To Go is working on further
supply chain with the Movement solutions that can change those
Against Food Waste. With this, the systems that allow this food to go
company intends to address food to waste in the first place.
waste with upstream and systemic
solutions for food systems. The With the Movement Against
key element in the movement is Food Waste, the company shows
the advocacy, which intends to systemic ambitions within the
change the regulatory framework EU’s framework to enable true
to enable food waste prevention sustainability within the food
measures at the national level and system. Food redistribution allows
within food manufacturers. for an impact on the reduction of
food waste within an established
The company has already started framework. In the long run, the
working at the national level in established framework needs to
Switzerland, France, Germany be shifted towards an integrated
and Denmark, where campaigns food policy containing sustainable
and petitions were launched to and fair measures for each stage
change the “use by” labels, the of the supply chain.
misconception of which account
for 10% of food wasted across the
whole supply chain5. The company
also wants to develop an advocacy
strategy at the European level.
5. “Market study on date marking and other information provided on food labels and food
waste prevention”. European Commission, 2018.
For more information visit:
zerowasteeurope.eu
toogoodtogo.org
Or contact:
hello@zerowasteeurope.eu
press@toogoodtogo.com
Sources:
Too Good To Go
Photo credits: toogoodtogo.org
Zero Waste Europe is the European network of communities, local leaders, businesses, experts, and change agents working towards the elimination of waste in our society. We empower communities to redesign their relationship with resources, and to adopt smarter lifestyles and sustainable consumption patterns in line with a circular economy. Case study by Pierre Condamine Editors: Jamael Kudratt, Agnese Marcon and Jack McQuibban Visual design by Petra Jääskeläinen & Rossella Recupero Zero Waste Europe 2020 Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International Zero Waste Europe gratefully acknowledges financial assistance from the European Union. The sole responsibility for the content of this event materials lies with Zero Waste Europe. It does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the funder mentioned above. The funder cannot be held responsible for any use that may be made of the information contained therein.
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