Since I am interested in venture capital and how the business ecosystem shifts with change, I am focusing my article guide on new startups and small businesses that intersect with mitigating food waste.
More than a trillion dollars is lost globally every year due to wasted food–more than one third of all food produced! It is clear that there is a need to mitigate such wastage. Food waste actually accounts for as much as 10 percent of greenhouse gas emissions, too. Among many other solutions, the new company Too Good To Go provides a fantastic means to eliminate food waste. The service works by selling “surprise bags” to locals, filled with leftover croissants, bagels, noodles, and more in bags ranging from $4-$6. These help both consumers and small businesses save on all fronts–both financially and environmentally. It is essentially dumpster diving via smartphone, except the food is of good quality. Too Good To Go is just one of many new startups that aim to curb food waste, which spells success for the future and a healthier, happier planet.
San Francisco’s newest addition to the Mission District, Shuggie’s Trash Pie & Natural Wine, revolutionizes the pizza game in town by making their pizza with food waste. While marketing their food as “waste” likely is not a good strategy, the food is apparently remarkable. Shuggie’s neo-Neopolitan is fitted with vegetables that may go to waste otherwise, and carrot tops go to make chimichurri while excess milk from local farms becomes ricotta. The pizzas likewise use interesting ingredients like pork jowl for protein, which may alienate some customers. Altogether, Shuggie’s is a great path-paver for the restaurant industry, and I think that one day all restaurants will adopt similar attitudes (minus the pork jowl) as they see the economic benefits of saving waste.
While this is not the most reputable source, I do not think the Times or WSJ will report on a TikTok video anytime soon. Popculture.com highlights a viral TikTok video of Dunkin Donuts’ food waste. Needless to say, it is mind-boggling. A Dunkin Donuts worker is shown in the video dumping dozens of trays filled to the brim with donuts directly into the trash upon closing–easily amounting to over 300 donuts thrown away. This is a perfect example of unnecessary food wastage that can be easily modified. While many users in the comments of the video note that these donuts should be given to homeless shelters, donuts are not the first thing I would have in mind for feeding hungry people, but I do understand and support that action. The more logical step is to simply produce less donuts per day. This is true for the broader restaurant industry, as this similar problem is encountered at almost all fast food chains throughout America.