5.3 million meals saved (and counting!) – how Starbucks & Too Good To Go’s partnership rescues surplus food
There’s something special about giving leftover food a second chance. Plenty of people already go the extra mile to save their leftovers, meal-prep, or find creative ways to avoid food waste – and every small action adds up.
Since 2017, Starbucks has partnered with Too Good To Go, a social impact company connecting people to unsold food from local businesses, to help prevent good food from going to waste. To mark Stop Food Waste Day (30th April) let’s take a closer look at how, together, we’ve saved over 5.3 million meals from being thrown away in Europe – and this is only the beginning.
Millions of meals saved
Food waste is something many of us are trying to cut down on – whether that’s at home, at work, or in our local community. Every year, over 59 million tonnes of food goes to waste in the EU alone – but when we come together, simple everyday actions can make an extraordinary impact.
To help businesses and their customers to save surplus food from going to waste, Too Good To Go allows people to purchase ‘Surprise Bags’ of unsold food at a reduced price. With more than 1,900 participating Starbucks stores across 12 European countries, the results are already adding up.
“At Too Good To Go, we believe that every meal counts – for people and for our planet.” explains Mette Lykke, CEO of Too Good To Go, “Partnerships with businesses like Starbucks are so important: they bring scale, visibility, and make it easier for more people to get involved. Every Surprise Bag picked up from a Starbucks store is one less meal wasted, and one more step to building a better food system.”
Good food, good intentions
Too Good To Go’s marketplace app connects customers to nearby stores that have leftover food at the end of the day. At Starbucks, that means you could pick up a Surprise Bag filled with a pastry, a wholesome sandwich, or even a fruit pot – all still perfectly good to eat (and delicious!) – but at a fraction of the original retail price.
“No one wants to see good food go to waste,” says Adam Turner, Director of sustainability, social impact, ESG at Starbucks EMEA, “Too Good To Go’s mission is a powerful one and it aligns with Starbucks own values. We recognise the power of community and that, when we all work together, small actions can really add up. We’re proud to work together with our customers, and our partner Too Good To Go, to support the global movement against food waste – one Surprise Bag at a time.”
“Our mission at Too Good To Go is to inspire and empower everyone to fight food waste together,” Mette adds, “We know that when saving food is made easy, more people get involved – and that’s where real impact starts. What drives us most is seeing this measurable impact on food waste and our planet each day. Every meal saved, and every new person or business joining our community, shows how small actions can build lasting change. Today we’re saving 4 meals a second across our global community and this momentum is only getting stronger.”
Small actions, big impact
Finally, Too Good To Go has shared some helpful advice for anyone who wants to reduce their food waste footprint all year round:
Mette Lykke, says, “After holidays, when leftovers tend to pile up at home, food waste tips become even more important. That leftover pastry from breakfast? Turn it into a buttery bread pudding or slice it up for a baked French toast. Surplus muffins can be crumbled into a base for a fruit crumble or mixed into a quick single-serving cake. Extra fruit pots or berries? Blend them into a smoothie or cook them down into a compote. With a little imagination, yesterday’s snack can become tomorrow’s treat.”
Grab your own Surprise Bag today
Download the Too Good To Go app to pick up a Starbucks Surprise Bag and take one small (and tasty!) step towards a less wasteful world.
