How to use the Too Good to Go App to buy left over food

Want to know more about the Too Good to Go App and how you can buy left over food at Greggs, Costa Coffee, Starbucks and more? we have you covered in this guide!

Global food insecurity has surged, threatening to spur mass migration. Research shows that 135 million people faced life-threatening food insecurity in 2019. Today, nearly a billion people across the world experience the effects of food insecurity.

In the UK, Britons throw away 4.2 million tonnes of edible food every year. This is equal to six meals a week for each household in the UK. While the world is battling food insecurity, fresh food goes to waste at restaurants, shops, and even our homes. All because the food was not sold in time, people did not use the food or cooked too much.

Thankfully, you can now prevent food wastage with the Too Good To Go app.

What is Too Good To Go?

Too Good To Go is a smartphone app that connects people to stores and restaurants with unsold food. Created in 2015 by Stian Olesen, Brian Christensen, Adam Sigbrand, Stian Olesen and others, Too Good To Go is a free app that helps to reduce food waste.

It’s also a community of waste warriors who fight food waste together. As the world’s #1 app for fighting food waste, Too Good To Go covers major European cities.

In three years, the app has more than 9.5 million users. Over 17,000 establishments in Europe and the UK are associated with it. As such, Too Good To Go has helped to save 10,092,382 food packs and 4.3 million Magic Bags. The app has now created a dedicated food waste movement within businesses, schools and public affairs.

How The Too Good To Go App Works…

You can download the Too Good To Go app from the Google Play Store and Apple App Store. Once you download the app, launch it and set up an account. The app requires you to fill in a few details. Once you do so and your account is set up, you’re ready to start saving food waste.

Food waste is responsible for 8% of the global greenhouse gas emissions. If it were a country, food waste would be the third-largest source of greenhouse gas emission after the US and China. Experts estimate that by 2030, food waste will hit 2.1 billion tons.

While no one likes to see food go to waste, it’s very common for households and businesses to waste food. To prevent food waste, Too Good To Go helps restaurants and stores sell their surplus food. When you launch the app, the home screen will list supermarkets, stores and restaurants in your local area.

The stores and restaurants will have different prices. Choose a store or restaurant to order a magic bag of surplus food at a reduced price.

The restaurant or store will prepare a magic bag full of unsold food for that day for you to pick up. Click on the offer you want to pick up and pay in advance. For a Magic bag, the cost is between £2 to £4. You can pay with Apple Pay or with a card. The deals are usually a mystery until you pick them up. You can get lucky and pick up fine-dining meals or even whole pizzas.

Collect the Magic Bag from the store or restaurant during a pre-set collection window. Thanks to Too Good To Go, you get to save a meal and make a difference. Remember, the deals on this app usually go quickly. Most deals sell out by 8 AM to 9 AM.

How To Claim Your Too Good To Go Magic Bags

When you confirm your order, the Too Good To Go app will give you the pick-up time at the store, supermarket or restaurant. This is usually within an hour after confirming your order. You need to pick up your order before the one hour window expires, or you’ll lose your food and money.

Visit the store or restaurant at the appointed time and show one of the workers your magic bag order. Immediately your collection window starts, a button on your Too Good To Go in-app receipt will read “Swipe to Redeem.” One of the workers from the supermarket or restaurant must see you swipe your receipt. You don’t have to hand them your smartphone. Maintain social distance.

When the store or restaurant employee confirms your order, they’ll fetch it. At home, look through the Magic Bag, especially if you picked your order at the supermarket. Put items in the freezer that you won’t eat that night.

Occasionally, stores will sell out of food unexpectedly even after making your Magic Bag order. One way stores and restaurants will let you know via notification. It’s essential to have notifications switched on.

If you can no longer claim your Magic Bag order, cancel it a minimum of two hours ahead of your collection slot. Once you do so, you’ll receive a full refund.

Which Retailers use Too Good to Go?

Over 45,461 restaurants and stores across Europe have already signed to fight food waste via Too Good To Go. So far, the stores and restaurants have saved 24,590,389 meals. That’s over 61,476 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions saved.

One of the restaurants that partnered with Too Good To Go to fight food waste is Yo! Sushi. Since 2016, the restaurant has helped to save over 110,000 meals. This equates to 275,000 kg of carbon dioxide emissions.

Accor Hotels also partnered with Too Good To Go to reduce food waste in its hotels. The establishment has over 500 hotels in France, Italy, UK, Belgium, Switzerland, Germany and the Netherlands. Since 2016, Accor Hotels allows customers to pick up the remaining portions of food. So far, the hotel chain redistributed 160,000 meals and saved 400,000 kilos of carbon dioxide emissions.

On the Too Good To Go app, you can find supermarkets such as…

Morrisons
Sainsbury’s
M&S Food
Budgens and others

Some of the restaurants that partnered with Too Good To Go include…

Café Nero
Greggs
Costa

This is not an inclusive list. If you live in a city, there are more options to choose from than people living in a rural area.

How Much Can You Save With Too Good to Go App?

Too Good To Go can save you a lot of money. Just imagine swapping one or two meals a day with a Magic Bag of unsold food. This will save you a couple of pounds each day. Not only that. You help save the planet from unnecessary carbon dioxide emissions.

For example, if you buy a Magic Bag from Costa, you could save more than £8 a day. Just imagine getting a couple of sandwiches, pork sausage, cheddar and roasted tomato classic toastie for less than £3. If you were to buy the items above at the normal price, the cost would range between £10 to £15.

If you’ve a large family, Too Good To Go is a great way to save money. You can buy Magic Bags full of restaurant meals worth £10 or more for just £2 to £3. Inside, you can find a whole pizza or even fine dining meals.

Final Thoughts

The Too Good To Go app aims to help supermarkets and restaurants reduce food waste. You may receive perishable items, especially when you receive an order from a supermarket. If you find perishable items in your magic bags, store them in your freezer immediately if not using that night.

In case you discover that your Magic Bag contains food you don’t like. Do not throw away the food. That is against the spirit of a waste warrior. Instead, give to the homeless, donate to someone else or freeze for later use.

Further Reading…