How to save money and fight food waste

A new generation of apps is rescuing perfectly good food from landfills, making it available at a fraction of the retail price at restaurants and grocery stores.

Michael J. Coren reports for The Washington Post.


In short:

  • Food waste apps like Flashfood and Too Good To Go connect users to surplus food from grocery stores and restaurants.
  • These apps help reduce the 2.5 million tons of food waste retailers discard annually, benefiting both the environment and consumers.
  • By purchasing discounted surplus food, users can save money and access healthier food options.

Key quote:

“It feels like they are spreading like wildfire. I love the model because at least some of the food would literally have been thrown out a day later. It really is saving it from the garbage.”

— Dana Gunders, ReFED

Why this matters:

These digital do-gooders save money and so much more. Reducing food waste can cut global CO2 emissions and provide affordable, nutritious food options, particularly benefiting low-income families struggling with the high cost of healthy eating. Read more: New White House strategy backs food rescue efforts but more is needed to fight hunger and waste.

Interior of a data center with rows of servers
Credit: Getty Images/Unsplash+

Feds pave the way for Big Tech to plug data centers right into power plants in scramble for energy

Federal regulators will allow tech companies to effectively plug massive data centers directly into power plants.
Arm and hand holding wheat against a wheat field backdrop
Photo credit: Photo by Paz Arando on Unsplash

Food becoming more calorific but less nutritious due to rising carbon dioxide

Researchers noticed ‘dramatic’ changes in nutrients in crops, including drop in zinc and rise in lead.

Aerial view of Marcellus Shale fracking well in Pennsylvania
Copyright: shutterrudder/BigStock Photo ID: 53059774

Tracking oil and gas waste in Pennsylvania is still a ‘logistical mess’

More than a decade after regulators promised to improve reporting standards for this waste, an Inside Climate News investigation found huge discrepancies in state records.
The US Congress building in Washington DC
Credit: Ian Hutchinson/Unsplash

SPEED Act passes in House despite changes that threaten clean power projects

If enacted, the bill’s measures would significantly curtail the scope and timelines for the federal environmental review process.
U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright speaking with attendees at the Energy Freedom Tour stop at MIT
Credit: Gage Skidmore/https://www.flickr.com/photos/gageskidmore/https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

How Chris Wright remade DOE

The secretary has moved aggressively, reorganizing the department and bolstering fossil fuels while trying to tackle artificial intelligence’s energy
Oil drilling rig silhouetted against a red sunset sky.

Canada announces new methane emission standards for oil and gas sector

The new rules, which will take effect in 2028, aim to cut emissions by 75% by 2035.

people gathered outside buildings holding Climate Justice Now signage.

Here's the global playbook being used to crack down on climate protest

A new study finds that repression of environmental protest is rising worldwide and Indigenous land defenders face the greatest risk.
From our Newsroom
Multiple Houston-area oil and gas facilities that have violated pollution laws are seeking permit renewals

Multiple Houston-area oil and gas facilities that have violated pollution laws are seeking permit renewals

One facility has emitted cancer-causing chemicals into waterways at levels up to 520% higher than legal limits.

Regulators are underestimating health impacts from air pollution: Study

Regulators are underestimating health impacts from air pollution: Study

"The reality is, we are not exposed to one chemical at a time.”

Pennsylvania governor Josh Shapiro speaks with the state flag and American flag behind him.

Two years into his term, has Gov. Shapiro kept his promises to regulate Pennsylvania’s fracking industry?

A new report assesses the administration’s progress and makes new recommendations

silhouette of people holding hands by a lake at sunset

An open letter from EPA staff to the American public

“We cannot stand by and allow this to happen. We need to hold this administration accountable.”

wildfire retardants being sprayed by plane

New evidence links heavy metal pollution with wildfire retardants

“The chemical black box” that blankets wildfire-impacted areas is increasingly under scrutiny.

Stay informed: sign up for The Daily Climate newsletter
Top news on climate impacts, solutions, politics, drivers. Delivered to your inbox week days.