Opinion: Perfectly edible good food at a fraction of its price available in Kilkenny

Perfectly good food sold at a fraction of its original price seems too good to be true - but it is not.

The rising cost of living is putting pressure on people and the cost of groceries has increased significantly in recent times.

There is a growing awareness on the need to reduce waste and to be more conscious of our consumer spending and the Too Good to Go initiative offers its users products that are approaching their sell-by or use-by dates.

Too Good to Go, a food surplus app has several businesses in Kilkenny taking part in the initiative with a growing number of local users. Simply sign up to the app and check out which local businesses are selling you their leftover produce at a vastly reduced price. The food is close to its expiry date and offers consumers an opportunity both to reduce their spending and to cut down on waste.

Kilkenny charity shop urges public to ‘Don’t Discard, Donate!’ preloved items

According to their website their mission is to mo make sure good food gets eaten, not wasted. Every day, fresh food goes to waste at cafes, restaurants, hotels, shops and manufacturers - just because it hasn’t sold in time. The Too Good To Go app lets customers buy and collect Surprise Bags of this food directly from businesses at a great price.

The Environmental Protection Agency has highlighted that food waste is a global problem that has environmental, social and economic consequences. More than one quarter of the food produced globally is wasted. It is a significant contributor to climate change, as food loss and waste contribute to 8-10% of greenhouse gas emissions. Growing, processing and transporting food all use significant amounts of resources such as land, water and energy.

The Irish Government has committed to reduce food waste by 50% by 2030, which is in line with UN Sustainable Development Goals and EU targets.

Reducing our food waste is one of the most effective things we can do for climate action. It can also save time, stress, and – something we all want to save more of these days – money.

A survey commissioned by the world’s largest food saving app, Too Good To Go, has found that Irish consumers are caring more about food waste than ever before, as a result of rising food prices.

The survey found that 88% of Irish people say that increasing food prices were a problem for their budget. Millennials seem to be the generation hit hardest by rising food prices, with 93% of 25-44 year olds revealing they are a problem for their budget.

The new survey also revealed that an impressive 96% of Irish people say they care about food waste, while two-thirds believe they are throwing away less food than last year in an effort to combat rising food costs.

Despite the quantity of food waste seeming to have decreased per household, when it comes to the monetary cost, the results show that people in the Republic of Ireland are wasting, on average, nearly €600 worth of food a year.

The reasons given for throwing away food were mainly due to food being out of date or appearing moldy, however 9% of those surveyed admitted to throwing food away simply because they did not want it anymore.

The free-to-download app works by connecting businesses with surplus food, to consumers who can save this food from going to waste for a reduced price. All users have to do is download the free app, search for nearby businesses with unsold food, reserve it in advance before collecting at the allotted time.

It makes sense, reduces food waste, saves money for consumers and enables businesses to sell product that would have otherwise been destined for the bin.