To start, here are the hard facts: according to the UN, an estimated one-third of all food is lost and wasted worldwide, yet a shocking 870 million people go hungry every day and food wastage costs produce a hefty annual sum of around US$750 billion. If food waste were a country, it would be the world's third-largest emitter of greenhouse gases, just behind the USA and China.
And that's not all – in our own city alone, around 3,382 tonnes of food (the equivalent of eight Airbus A380 planes) are thrown away into landfills every day. Despite being one of the world's top culinary capitals, it would appear that Hong Kong has yet to grapple with the increasing food wastage problem that has rightfully become a hot topic in the international forum over the past few years.
That's where Food Savior comes in. This start-up provides an innovative alternative to the problem that has challenged politicians, businesses, governments and NGOs alike. The idea is simple enough: connecting customers to restaurants and cafés that offer huge discounts and special deals on dishes that have been left over from service. Florent Sollier, who co-founded Food Savior with Liz Thomas and Adrien Hay, says, 'It's a win for customers because they get a great deal on meals, it's a win for restaurants because they make money on food that otherwise would be thrown away and it's a win for the planet because less food ends up in landfills.'
Just as we would expect, a number of fantastic restaurants (including a few Foodie favourites) have already jumped on board. Food Savior's ever-expanding list of partners includes Cali-Mex, SpiceBox Organics, La Cabane a Vin, 208 Duecento Otto, Jinjuu, Café d'i, Tartes & Pop and Rummin' Tings, just to name a few.
All you need to do is to type in your location, check out what's available nearby and select what you fancy. We love to feel good about what we're eating, so Food Savior might just be the thing to help to soothe our conscience as we tuck into something delicious – sounds like a pretty great way to save a buck while paying attention to the serious issue of food wastage.
Sign up and chow down at www.foodsavior.hk
