When the Fight Against Food Waste Bears Its Fruits
Interview with Katharina Hauke
Ms Hauke, the German Brand Awards are considered the most important awards for successful brands in Europe. What does success mean to you and how do you measure it at Too Good To Go?
We define success primarily by the number of saved meals. After all, food waste is not just a huge ethical problem that could be avoided. Throwing away food that is still edible also causes unnecessary costs for industry and consumers. Last but not least, it causes considerable damage to the environment, as every piece of wasted food also means wasted and valuable resources. The amount of food that our community saves from being thrown away every day is therefore our most important indicator of success.
With the award „Purpose of the Year“, the jury recognises Too Good To Go as a brand that is itself a driver of change. What does such recognition mean to you right now, almost ten years after the company was founded?
It's a great pleasure and honour for us! Because the award confirms that our efforts to bring about positive change are having an impact and are being recognised. Especially after almost a decade of existence, this recognition is a strong signal that we are on the right track and that our mission to reduce food waste bears its fruits.
Purpose and Social Impact: How does Too Good To Go manage to reconcile these two topics with brand management and scalability?
Sustainability is deeply embedded in our DNA because our business model is designed from the ground up to be sustainable. The special thing about this is that our positive impact scales with our growth: We grow with an increasing number of people and partner businesses that rescue food through us. This conserves valuable resources such as water, reduces emissions and protects agricultural land. So the more we save, the better it is for the environment.
The past years we have seen from our award winners that attitude and sustainability have long been an integral part of branding. How much power do brands have to change the world?
Our vision is clear – and ambitious: a planet without food waste. This goal is the North Star of our work and is shared and appreciated by our global community of over 100 million users. We firmly believe that every individual can make a big contribution through small steps. Brands play an important role in motivating and empowering people to take action. If we all act together, we can make a significant difference.
Too Good To Go will soon be celebrating its tenth anniversary. What have been the most important milestones during this time?
The most significant milestones include our expansion into 19 countries on three continents, with each new country opening being an important step. The expansion into Australia last year, which represented the third continent, was also crucial. Another success is the saving of over 500 million meals worldwide.
And what were the biggest hurdles?
The biggest challenge is still raising awareness of the problem of food waste. Many people are not sufficiently aware of the extent and environmental consequences. The fact that 40% of all food is wasted globally – which means, for example, that three out of every eight pieces of pizza are thrown away – is a frightening reality that has ecological, economic and social consequences.
What is the main problem in our society when dealing with food and how can it be solved?
The problem of food waste is complex. It cannot be reduced to a single cause. A sustainable solution requires the cooperation of everyone involved along the value chain. This starts with each individual person who, for example, plans their purchases in order to throw less away at home, continues with local bakeries that can manage their production better and ends with manufacturing companies that need to optimise their processes. Stricter laws on reduction and binding measurement standards and targets are also needed.
What factors contribute to Too Good To Go being not just an app, but also a social movement with its own community?
Although we started with our app, we have developed quickly and introduced additional products and services. These include a B2B solution for companies to digitalise best-before management. Our political commitment and our educational work are key components of our identity. One of our biggest campaigns, Often good for longer, which has no financial interest, aims to encourage consumers to check food before throwing it away, even if it is past its best-before date. This initiative is now being implemented in 15 countries, and we are cooperating with over 100 brands in Germany.
Since 2024, To Good To Go has also been saving pet food and, more recently, even plants from the rubbish bin. You have also established delivery packages as a new sales channel. How important is this consistent expansion of the business model and what is important here?
The expansion to include animal feed and plants was a logical step for us, as these resources also have a negative impact on the environment if they are wasted. The introduction of the Too Good To Go packages is a response to demand from manufacturing companies that are struggling with surplus goods, be it due to short best-before dates, packaging changes or seasonal overproduction. As it is such a complex problem and there are still numerous areas where we can take action, we remain true to our vision and continue to look for innovative solutions.
How do you use artificial intelligence (AI) in the fight against waste?
Artificial intelligence plays a crucial role in optimising planning. For example, in purchasing and production. In the case of our B2B solution, it helps supermarkets considerably. Our AI-supported platform for best-before date management digitises and automates the previously manual work of employees sorting shelves. This B2B solution is directly connected to our marketplace app and is therefore unique. This allows supermarkets to seamlessly offer products that are close to their expiry date in surprise bags from Too Good To Go. This ensures that these products are rescued in time and do not end up in the bin.
More partner companies, new countries, a larger community – the signs are pointing to growth. What are Too Good To Go's goals for the next ten years?
We still see a lot of potential in the countries where we are already active. We will continue to expand our presence in the USA, Australia and, of course, Germany. We’ll expand our offering and continue to do educational work to raise awareness of food waste and its consequences. We dream of a world without food waste. We can only achieve this together.
The interview was conducted by Julia Gundelach.
