Food rescue app launches in Waipā
Waipā residents will be able to help prevent great food from going to waste from next Monday as the digital platform Foodprint comes to town.
The new app, which has been in action in New Zealand since 2019, allows users to snap up daily café and restaurant deals at a bargain price, stopping otherwise perfectly good food from heading to waste.
Waipā District Council’s Waste Minimisation Officer, Sally Fraser said the initiative was a win-win for the hospitality sector and customers and it aligned perfectly with Council’s waste minimisation objectives to reduce waste in the district.
“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.”
“We currently have five eateries in Cambridge and two in Te Awamutu signed up, and would love to have more cafes and restaurants in the district that are interested in reducing their food waste and recouping their costs for already prepared food to get on board too.”
Created by Founder Michal Garvey in 2019, Foodprint first hit the market in Auckland and has since successfully expanded to Wellington and Otago. The app will be launched in Waipā, Hamilton and Raglan on Monday 2 May, with 36 eateries in the Waikato already offering their wares.
“We are excited to be continuing our nationwide expansion by bringing Foodprint to the Waikato region,” said Garvey.
"It's been a popularly requested area for us by both customers and eateries. 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 Ministry for the Environment.”
Garvey said the app sits apart from any other on-demand food ordering app currently in New Zealand as it saves already prepared food from ending up in landfills and encourages users to eat locally. Foodprint is currently one of the only food apps in the digital market that has a positive effect on the environment.
“Ministry for the Environment data shows that the average café in New Zealand produces 67 kilos of food waste per week. It really adds up with the amount of eateries we have in the district. Some of that will be scraps and peelings but a portion will be unsold and unused product.
“I know businesses have a keen eye on their waste, especially after a tough couple of years, but food listed on the app can be cancelled catering orders, cakes with the wrong icing or a doubled up order, accidents happen, if this app can reduce food waste – great!” Fraser said.
Foodprint is free to download and is available at Google Play or the App Store. Once signed up, users can use a map to view eateries near them, follow their favourites and receive push notifications when new deals are listed. Users can also rate and review the eateries on the app.
With only a couple of clicks to purchase the food in the app, the only requirement is to then collect from the store before closing, Garvey added.
For those who wish to see what difference they make from using the app, users can also track their savings on food, money and reduced carbon footprint.
Fraser said the waste minimisation team was excited for Waipā residents to reap the rewards of the app, knowing they are helping eliminate food waste one meal or muffin at a time. With all food on the app discounted between 30 to 90 percent, Fraser said it’s an environmentally-minded, bargain-hunter’s dream.
For more information and to download Foodprint, head to www.foodprint.app.
For other ways to reduce waste, visit waipadc.govt.nz/wasteminimisation.
