The app Foodprint allows people to rescue food from restaurants and cafes that would otherwise go to waste. Photo / Supplied
The app Foodprint allows people to rescue food from restaurants and cafes that would otherwise go to waste. Photo / Supplied
Food waste is one of the biggest contributors to climate change, but thanks to the app Foodprint people in Waikato can now do their bit to reduce it and rescue food from local eateries that would otherwise go in the bin.
Hospitality and retail sectors in New Zealand waste almost 50,000 tonnes of food each year, over 60 per cent of which is still edible. When food is thrown out it decomposes and creates a huge amount of greenhouse gas which contributes to raising the Earth's temperature.
Foodprint was founded by Auckland sustainability advocate Michal Garvey in 2019 and connects users with at least 30 per cent of discounted food from local eateries that's on the shelves but didn't sell.
Garvey says Foodprint is a sustainability-driven app that gives customers a chance to "take a bite at saving the planet".
"Addressing food waste has been identified as one of the top actions to combat the climate crisis and is currently under consultation through the Ministry for the Environment."
Foodprint launched in the Waikato two weeks ago and so far features 30 eateries across Hamilton, Raglan, Cambridge and Te Awamutu. The app first launched in Auckland and has since expanded to Wellington and Dunedin.
"Launching in the Waikato is the first broader expansion ... It has been really well received so far, we had a huge amount of downloads across the region."
The Waikato eateries include Hamilton's Hazel Hayes, Cinnamon and Demi-Urgos, Raglan's The Herbal Dispensary and The Shack, Cambridge's Reload Coffee and Te Awamutu's Pickle & Plum which join a community of 400 eateries across the three metropolises.
Hazel Hayes owner Dylan Bhantoa says Foodprint stops waste and is a great opportunity for people on a budget. Photo / Danielle Zollickhofer
Owner of Hamilton cafe Hazel Hayes Dylan Bhantoa says he has always been interested in ways to make his business more environmentally friendly and Foodprint is a great tool for this.
"We are trying to reduce the amount of waste that we send to landfill. For our catering, we provide proper crockery and cutlery instead of plastic ones, for example.
"Some of our [food] products have a short shelf life and while we usually don't have a lot of leftover food we do sometimes get a couple of items that are left."
Garvey says eateries choose themselves what, how much and when they list food.
"Items might be yesterday's goods or juices on the last day of their best before date. Sometimes it can even be whole cakes that have been made to order but weren't picked up ... Every day the food on the app is different."
Bhantoa says Foodprint is not only a good opportunity to fight the landfill. "Through Foodprint people on a tight budget get access to items that they normally wouldn't get because they are too expensive."
Foodprint founder Michal Garvey. Photo / Supplied
The app is free for eateries to sign up to and free for customers to download. Once downloaded, users can access a map of eateries nearby that are registered and receive push notifications when new deals are listed. The only requirement is for people to collect their goods from the store on the same day before it closes.
Garvey says people in the smaller Waikato towns are especially excited about the launch.
"I had someone say, 'This is so cool, things like this usually don't come to Raglan'. But we are about reducing food waste everywhere, just because it's a small town doesn't mean there is no food waste."
The Waipā District Council's waste minimisation officer, Sally Fraser, says Foodprint is a win-win for the hospitality sector and customers and it aligns perfectly with the council's waste minimisation objectives.
"Foodprint allows our local eateries to retain money from food that would've been thrown out and it gives our residents an opportunity to purchase food at a fraction of the regular price while still supporting local."
On why she founded Foodprint, Garvey says she has always been interested in the impact of food systems on climate change.
Foodprint founder Michal Garvey (left) and Waikato regional councillor and climate action committee chair Jennifer Nickel at Demi Urgos. Photo / Supplied
"I used to work for Hello Fresh in London and in hospo when I was younger where I had to throw out food myself, so I know how painful this is.
"I wanted to go to work knowing I can make an impact and encourage others to do something good as well."
Food rescue organisations like Hamilton's Kaivolution see Foodprint as an ally, Garvey says.
"I love the work that food rescues perform and I am in contact with the main food rescue organisations in the areas we work in ... We are all working towards the same goal of zero food waste to landfill.
"For the most part, the food that's sold through Foodprint is food that food rescue can't take. Often it's chilled foods or food that needs to be consumed the same day. Or smaller portions that they can't logistically collect."
