Rescuing Food

Imagine this: You had a late soccer game, and you’re hungry. Your mom agrees to stop by a pizza shop. It’s closing soon, but all of your favorite slices are there. Phew! This is great news for you. But according to Chris MacAulay, it’s bad news for the environment.

MacAulay is vice president of operations in North America for Too Good To Go. The company is helping limit surplus, or excess, food.

When we go to a pizza shop at closing time expecting a full selection, “we’re creating our own problem,” MacAulay told TIME for Kids. That problem is food waste. It’s a big one.

More than 80 billion pounds of food is wasted each year. That’s according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

Waste Reduction

Too Good To Go wants surplus food to land somewhere other than in the trash. The idea started in Denmark about a decade ago. Now Too Good To Go is the world’s largest marketplace for surplus food.

The company connects people and businesses through an app. Users search a map. They find participating restaurants and grocery stores in their area. For a low price, businesses offer surprise bags or boxes of excess food. Users claim and pay for one. They pick it up before the business closes for the day.

The app has more than 100 million users worldwide. “The more success we have at helping customers pick up a surprise bag, the more we’ve achieved our vision of ending food waste,” MacAulay says.

How can kids help reduce food waste? “Get interested in food and where food comes from,” MacAulay suggests. You can go on family grocery outings. Or you can try to be more thoughtful about portions. “Once you start to see the amount of waste, it’s really hard to unsee,” MacAulay says.