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 targetshouseholds , 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: [email protected] [email protected]

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.