Too Good To Go: How a Food Waste App is Transforming the US Market
Discover how Too Good To Go helps Americans fight food waste, save money, and enjoy great meals while supporting local businesses.
Too Good To Go: Fighting Food Waste One Meal at a Time in the United States
Every year, billions of pounds of perfectly edible food are discarded by restaurants, grocers, bakeries, and other food businesses, exacerbating environmental crises and wasting invaluable resources. Too Good To Go, a food-saving app that originated in Europe, is taking aim at this problem—now wielding its innovative platform across the United States, helping communities rescue good food, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and enjoy delightful culinary surprises at affordable prices.
What Is Too Good To Go?
Too Good To Go is a mobile app and service that connects users with local food businesses—such as bakeries, restaurants, and grocery stores—that have surplus food nearing the end of its shelf life. Instead of letting this food go to waste, businesses offer it to users packed in ‘Surprise Bags’ at deeply discounted prices. Customers purchase these bags through the app, pick them up at designated times, and enjoy great food while contributing to sustainability.
- Origin: Launched in Denmark in 2015
- Mission: Inspire and empower consumers and businesses to fight food waste
- Impact: Over 200 million meals saved globally (as of March 2023)
- Reach: 164,000+ businesses and 62 million users (as of August 2022)
Why Is Food Waste Such a Serious Issue?
The United States generates about 40% food waste each year, much of which happens at the retail and consumer levels. According to the app’s data and sustainability experts, wasting food is not just an ethical or economic concern, but an environmental liability:
- Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Decomposing food in landfills produces methane, a potent greenhouse gas.
- Wasted Resources: Every discarded meal represents wasted water, labor, transportation energy, and farm inputs.
- Cost: American households spend thousands of dollars annually on food that is never consumed.
How Does Too Good To Go Work?
The process is streamlined and user-friendly, ensuring both businesses and users benefit directly:
- Discover: Users access a map showing nearby participating businesses offering excess food for collection on the same day.
- Reserve & Pay: Customers reserve a Surprise Bag (or, in some areas, a Parcel) directly in the app and pay securely.
- Pick Up: Pick-up times are pre-set, often near closing hours or when the surplus is freshest.
- Enjoy & Rescue: Users simply pick up their order, swipe in the app to confirm collection, and enjoy high-quality food while making a tangible difference.
What Is a Surprise Bag?
The contents of each Surprise Bag are, as the name suggests, a mystery: you might leave with pastries, sandwiches, salads, or groceries, depending on the day’s surplus.
Main Features and Benefits for Users
- Affordable Eats: Typically, Surprise Bags are sold at half price or less of their retail value.
- Discovery: Users get to try new foods or visit undiscovered local businesses.
- Sustainability: Each rescued meal helps cut landfill waste, water use, and emissions.
- Community Impact: Supporting local shops and restaurants boosts local economies.
Main Features and Benefits for Businesses
- Revenue Recovery: Earn income from food that would otherwise be discarded.
- Customer Acquisition: Attract new customers who may return as regulars.
- Waste Reduction: Meet sustainability goals and reduce disposal fees.
- Brand Image: Association with eco-friendly practices and community-mindedness.
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Too Good To Go’s US Launch: Entering a New Market
After tremendous success across Europe, Too Good To Go officially launched in the United States in 2020—the timing coinciding with both rising environmental awareness and the challenges facing small businesses due to the pandemic. Beginning in cities like New York, Boston, and several others, the service rapidly attracted thousands of grocery stores, restaurants, bakeries, and even larger retailers.
Initial Partners and Expansion
- City bakeries and artisanal shops
- National supermarket chains (through the Parcels feature)
- Cafés, delis, and casual restaurants
The strong support for Too Good To Go demonstrates widespread public enthusiasm for food-saving innovations—and signals a growing cultural shift toward sustainability in everyday consumer choices.
Success Stories and Social Impact
In its first US cities, Too Good To Go quickly developed a following of both food lovers and sustainability advocates. With each successful pick-up, the app not only keeps food out of the landfill but also helps:
- Enable small businesses to recover income lost to overproduction
- Reduce the volume of waste heading to municipal landfills
- Keep local food economies thriving, even during economic downturns
- Facilitate tens of thousands of new positive consumer-business interactions per month
The Environmental Impact of Reducing Food Waste
| Impact Factor | Contribution of Food Waste | How Too Good To Go Helps |
|---|---|---|
| Greenhouse Gas Emissions | Food waste generates up to 10% of global GHGs | Rescues food, reducing landfill methane |
| Water Use | Billions of gallons used to grow wasted food | Every meal saved means less wasted water |
| Land Use | Roughly 30% of global farmland | Fewer discarded meals, less wasted land |
Integrating Technology and Sustainability
The Too Good To Go app exemplifies technology designed for public good. Its interface is intuitive, connecting users with nearby businesses based on real-time supply, all while integrating with merchant inventory systems. Key technical features include:
- Location-based searching (maps, filters, favorites)
- Contactless, in-app payment and confirmation
- Push notifications for new deals and pick-up reminders
- Business-side management tools for tracking and redistributing surplus
Business Solutions and Innovations
Too Good To Go’s vision extends beyond the consumer side. It offers robust business-oriented solutions to tackle food waste at every step of the supply chain:
- Surprise Bags: The flagship product, letting shops sell surplus food day-to-day.
- Too Good To Go Platform: A modular, back-end software for retailers to track, manage, and redistribute food more efficiently.
- Date Labeling Initiative: Too Good To Go partners with big brands to change the conversation on food labeling, encouraging people to use “Look-Smell-Taste” judgment instead of discarding food based solely on date labels.
- Parcels: Larger boxes of surplus, available in select areas for home delivery.
Changing Food Waste Culture: The ‘Look, Smell, Taste’ Campaign
One of Too Good To Go’s most impactful campaigns is centered around confusing date labels, which frequently lead consumers to discard good food prematurely. Through collaborations with major brands, they’ve introduced a “Look, Smell, Taste” initiation—encouraging people to use their senses rather than blindly trusting ‘best before’ dates. Billions of packages now carry this message, contributing directly to a reduction in at-home food waste.
Key Reasons to Use or Partner with Too Good To Go
- Help the environment by minimizing avoidable waste
- Unlock affordable, varied, and often gourmet meals
- Support small businesses and community-based enterprises
- Promote climate action and resource conservation
- Encourage a culture of mindful consumption
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How do I know what food I’ll get?
Too Good To Go’s ‘Surprise Bags’ are designed to be a mystery, offering a mix of whatever high-quality unsold food remains at a partner business. The type of food changes daily and by venue.
Is the food safe?
Yes, all food offered is within safe consumption windows and handled according to business and safety guidelines. The ‘Look, Smell, Taste’ campaign also educates users on distinguishing safe food from spoiled items.
Where is Too Good To Go available in the US?
The app is rapidly expanding across major cities. Users should check the app for coverage in their area—initial launch cities included New York, Boston, and several more metropolitan hubs.
Can businesses of any size join?
Yes, the platform is open to small bakeries, local restaurants, grocery stores, and larger retail chains. Business solutions are scalable depending on partner needs.
How do I get started as a user?
Simply download the free app, enter your location, browse local partners, and reserve your first Surprise Bag for a designated pickup time. Payment and confirmation are handled through the app.
Conclusion: The Power of Smart Food Rescue
Too Good To Go offers a compelling solution to an urgent global challenge. By harnessing the collective power of individuals and businesses, the app is changing how Americans—and people worldwide—think about surplus food, transforming potential waste into opportunity for both planet and people. It’s a testament to how simple technological solutions can effect profound change when paired with passionate social missions.
References
- https://www.toogoodtogo.com/en-us
- https://www.toogoodtogo.com
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Too_Good_To_Go
- https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/too-good-to-go-end-food-waste/id1060683933
- https://apps.apple.com/us/app/too-good-to-go-end-food-waste/id1060683933
- https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.app.tgtg&hl=en_US
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cdbypIh-1lo
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