There is no time to lose. This article is part of a joint campaign by Riverford and Wicked Leeks to help people reduce food waste and raise awareness.
With awareness growing rapidly around the importance of reducing food waste, we sometimes get stuck on how to actually do it. Fortunately, there are now a variety of applications and resources online that can help.
That being said, it is still early days for food sharing apps in particular, and some definitely do better in urban areas, while rural areas are more of a challenge as there is lower population density and less uptake of the apps. You are unlikely to want to drive 10 miles for a free packet of jasmine rice!
To help you navigate, we tested and tested some of the best known and compiled a list of some of the most useful:
For sharing surplus food
OIL. This free food sharing app lists leftover items that you want to give away instead of throwing away, for example, homegrown vegetables or unused items in your fridge right before you leave. Offer it at OLIO and someone local will come and pick it up; This can still be done safely during closure, with helpful guidelines for socially distant food sharing. OLIO has a better variety in London, although it is available throughout the UK; Upon checking in in South Devon we found a few options, the most appealing being sharing water kefir grains, a great way to share those fermented foods that keep growing like sourdough starters or kombucha. Tip: check the app regularly as everything goes fast. Know more here.
For those who love to bag a bargain
Too good to go find a home for all the fresh food that would go to waste in cafes, restaurants, and shops just because it hasn’t sold on time. Order and collect a ‘Magic Bag’ of discounted food that would otherwise be thrown away. You won’t know exactly what’s in your order until you pick it up, but by choosing the restaurant wisely, you’ll get an idea of what type of product is there (bakeries seem to get rave reviews from those who have tried a Magic Bag). An impressive 9,396 companies are using it, with 3.3 million magic bags sold so far. Free to download here.
Working in a similar way, Karma it also allows you to eat out and protect the planet. Currently only available in London, you can download the Karma app here.
To plan meals
Without waste is a great tool for organizing and managing food in your home. With helpful inventory lists for your freezer, refrigerator, and pantry, it lets you quickly view and search what’s in stock. A menu planner helps you consume foods on time and avoid buying duplicates when you shop. Share meal plans and lists with your household and easily track food waste to help you save in the future. You can download it for free here.
Similarly, the AnyList The app keeps track of what you have and adds items to various shopping lists as they run out. It allows you to save recipes and easily buy ingredients as well. Again, you can share lists and download them for free – click here try.
PlanToEat is a subscription app (30-day free trial), but users have recommended it as ideal for busy families. Store your favorite recipes and automatically generate a shopping list. Designed to make eating at home easier, online recipes can be quickly imported by copying and pasting the link. For more information, click here.
By inspiration
There’s so much to spark your enthusiasm about spending less and enjoying more online. A true food activist and sustainability advocate, Melissa Hemsley creates adaptable recipes that always taste great with minimal waste. Explore his website for free, feel good about the recipes from his latest book Eat green, and for a lot of inspiration on Instagram, check out @ melissa.hemsley.
Max La Manna is an award-winning chef and author of More plants, less waste, whose simple and delicious recipes are designed to make the most of your vegetables. With fresh versions of favorite dishes, from loaded vegan nachos to baked mac’n’cheese, the recipes are really great in flavor but with a lot less waste. Take a look and try some of their recipes. here.