ST. LOUIS – Flashfood released its first annual Impact Report: The State of Food Waste at the ReFED 2023 Food Waste Solutions Summit.
The report looks at the role of food waste in the current climate crisis and how reducing waste at the retail level has the potential to lower greenhouse gas emissions, slow climate change, and address the connected problems of hunger and food insecurity.
The majority of Americans (68%) agree that the rising cost of food is making healthy eating more difficult for them.Tweet this
Exploring consumer perception is also a key component of the report, as the company aims to emphasize not just the value of the climate impact, but the consumer appetite for Flashfood. New findings from a 2023 survey conducted by The Harris Poll on behalf of Flashfood1 demonstrate a clear desire for change. The majority of adult grocery shoppers in the U.S. are struggling with the cost of healthy eating, and they view the reduction of food waste as an important priority.
- Nearly 9 in 10 Americans (88%) say managing food waste is important to them.
- The majority of Americans (68%) agree that the rising cost of food is making healthy eating more difficult for them.
- Just over 3 in 4 Americans (77%) are concerned about the environmental impact of food waste (e.g., on land, water, greenhouse gas emissions, biodiversity).
- Three quarters of Americans (75%) believe that reducing food waste is important for solving climate change.
“At Flashfood, we believe everyone deserves to eat healthy, affordable food and to live on a thriving planet. Food waste stands in the way of both,” says Josh Domingues, Founder and CEO of Flashfood. “That’s why we’re setting our sights on massive expansion this year: to be available in more places and at more stores with the goal of saving our consumers money on groceries and rescuing millions more pounds of food from landfills.”
The report also serves as a celebration of the company’s milestones and an expression of gratitude for the ecosystem that makes a marketplace like Flashfood possible. Retail partners in particular are spotlighted as the heroes on the food waste journey, and the key to future growth.
“We wanted this report to reflect the incredible impact of our retail partners,” said President and COO Nicholas Bertram. “These exceptional operators understand the fundamental link between hunger and waste. They see the opportunity that this massive problem has created, which is why they’ll be the ones to help solve it – and win.”
Dana Gunders, Executive Director of the national food waste nonprofit ReFED, said in the report, “Retailers play an especially important role because they sit at the center of the food system and have so much opportunity to influence the supply chain upstream and downstream. By implementing waste reduction solutions in their operations, retailers can not only benefit their bottom lines, but they can show their customers and partners what’s possible.”
Flashfood’s The State of Food Waste serves up a one-stop-shop for all the things a reader needs to know about the fast-growing company and the importance of eliminating food waste, with insightful statistics about grocery shopping and Flashfood usage sprinkled throughout. To read the full report, visit Flashfood’s website.
About Flashfood
Flashfood is a technology company working to eliminate retail food waste by connecting consumers with discounted food nearing its best-by date. The app-based marketplace is helping families across America access nutritious food at affordable prices, while reducing the volume of food retailers send to landfills. Flashfood is a remote-first company currently partnered with more than 1,700 stores across North America. For more information, please visit www.flashfood.com.
1 Survey Method: This survey was conducted online within the United States by The Harris Poll on behalf of Flashfood from April 20-24, 2023 among 2,018 U.S. adults ages 18+. The sampling precision of Harris online polls is measured by using a Bayesian credible interval. For this study, the sample data is accurate to within +/- 2.8 percentage points using a 95% confidence level. For complete survey methodology, including weighting variables and subgroup sample sizes, please contact esther.cohn@flashfood.com.
