Beyond the Shelf: How Technology is Transforming Food Waste into Opportunity

Did you know that only Americans waste 80 billion pounds of food (almost 40 billion of kg) every year? That is the equivalent of 10 Empire State Buildings and the majority goes to waste because it expires before someone has the chance to purchase it. And on the other hand, you have people starving everyday because they don’t have enough money to buy a proper meal.

Back at the old days, especially after the war, I found out that people from some countries had a solution for this problem. Professor Carl told me that newspapers used to have adverts of food that was due to expire in the next few days and would, therefore, be more affordable, so people just had to cut these adverts and deliver them on the store to get this “discounted” foods and, as an extra benefit, food wouldn’t go to waste.

Nowadays nobody reads the newspaper, so the food kept being wasted and people kept being hungry, which created a need for an intervention. I am sure you probably already heard about Too Good To Go, but, if not, let me summarize their concept to you. Basically, this is a food waste reduction app that focuses on saving unsold food from restaurants, bakeries, and cafes and it allows consumers to purchase surplus food from these businesses at a significantly reduced price at the end of the day. You just have to choose the place that is more convenient to you and reserve a “surprise bag” of leftover food (for a lowered price) and go to that location to pick it up.

The concept that I am presenting you today is similar to Too Good To Go but it has some differences.

WHAT IT IS?

FlashFood is an app that was created in 2016, in Canada, that fights against food waste. This is a new concept that is promoted through an app that lists foods from your local grocery stores that are a few days away from expiring, at discounted prices. From there, you purchase the food directly on the app and then pick it up at customer service. Its main purpose is to reduce food waste at the grocery store level by offering products like fresh produce, dairy, meat, and other perishables at steep discounts (often 50% or more off). This is a win win situation, because it allows shoppers to save money while also helping supermarkets reduce waste. And as a bonus, the app has stats so you can track how much money and C02 your purchases have saved you.

WHY IT´S COOL?

• Ultimate Grocery Hack: Snag fresh food at 50% off or more with just a few taps.
• Shop Smart, Live Green: You save cash and help fight food waste—win-win!
• Sustainable Mission: You’re not just buying groceries, you’re making the world a greener place.
• Save in Style: Flashfood makes saving money feel sexy, because who doesn’t love a good deal?
• Click, Collect, Done: Convenience at its finest

WHY IT HAS FUTURE GROWTH POTENTIAL?

Flashfood has massive future growth potential, particularly as it taps into key trends that resonate with Generation Z and beyond. This generation is leading the charge on sustainability, and Flashfood aligns perfectly with their values by offering a way to reduce food waste while saving money. The idea of snagging fresh groceries at steep discounts speaks directly to Gen Z’s savvy, bargain-hunting mindset. It is also important to mention that this new generation seeks business with a purpose, a meaning, and that is exactly what this app gives us.

Additionally, Flashfood’s intuitive, app-based platform fits seamlessly into Gen Z’s digital-first lifestyle. Quick, easy and handy, shopping with Flashfood is exactly how this generation likes to operate. Finally, as social media continues to play a pivotal role in shaping consumer habits, Flashfood is primed to go viral. Its compelling message of saving money while saving the planet is “Instagram and TikTok gold”, creating opportunities for influencers to amplify its reach.