Greece, grappling with a troubling statistic of nearly 100 kilograms of discarded food per person annually and ranked fourth in food waste within the European Union, is now taking innovative steps to promote sustainability. A homegrown app named “FoodBag,” introduced just five months ago, is spearheading efforts to instill a culture of greater responsibility and waste reduction.
FoodBag serves as a platform that enables various businesses, including bakeries, grocery stores, supermarkets, restaurants, and hotels, to offer their surplus food to consumers at substantial discounts. This initiative not only benefits consumers looking to trim their shopping bills but also provides a lifeline to businesses by allowing them to recuperate production costs for unsold items.
Konstantinos Magkaniaris, the 39-year-old CEO of FoodBag, co-founded the company with Laura Kiriazopoulou. He emphasizes the app’s potential to offer professionals a fresh avenue for managing unsold products efficiently, thereby curbing waste. While the app’s current coverage is primarily limited to the Attica region, it has already garnered 6,500 users and forged partnerships with approximately 80 businesses.
Food waste has long been a global concern, and initiatives like FoodBag are contributing to a much-needed shift towards responsible consumption and sustainability, aligning with broader efforts to combat food waste not only in Greece but worldwide.