Food Waste Good Taste Library
Innovation Library
Not Only Powder
Case Type:
Turning unused abandoned fruits into nutritious powder.
Description:
Not Only Power (NOP) is a social enterprise focused on reducing food waste and promoting sustainability. They do this by repurposing expiring and aesthetically unappealing fruits from local grocery stores and supermarkets. After collecting these fruits, NOP first applies its freeze drying technology, which uses a low temperature dehydration process that retains the nutrition of the fruits as it dehydrates it. After that, a computer-vision technology is introduced to remove subjective bias and human error in the process of checking the fruit’s appearance and provide reliable quality assurance for the dried fruits. Using these two core technologies, NOP produces nutrition powders in packs from different kinds of fruits such as banana and bloodberry.
Addressed Food Waste Challenge:
As a significant portion of fruits and vegetables are discarded due to cosmetic imperfections or expiration dates, NOP’s operations are essential in tackling food waste. Considering the fact that these fruits and vegetables are still safe and nutritious to consume, NOP not only encourages living a healthy lifestyle but also reducing food waste by embracing sustainability and giving new life to these fruits and vegetables.
Furry Green
Case Type:
Turning food waste into pet food
Description:
Furry Green is a social enterprise listed on the Social Enterprise Directory of Hong Kong. Its mission is to create innovative and sustainable business models that convert pre-consumer human foods into valuable resources. Furry Green achieves this by creating tasty and nutritious meals for pets, made with upcycled ingredients. These ingredients are sourced from surplus or discarded human food, which would otherwise go to waste. By repurposing these ingredients, Furry Green provides an eco-friendly solution to pet owners thereby reducing the environmental impact of food waste.
Addressed Food Waste Challenge:
This approach not only helps conserve resources and reduce waste but also promotes a circular economy, where waste products are reintroduced into the production cycle as valuable inputs. Furry Green's efforts in upcycling and sustainability serve as an example of how businesses can have a positive impact on the environment and society.
Nature Squared
Case Type:
Turning abundant natural materials into surface products (e.g. Furnitures, Table Tops)
Description:
Nature Squared is an ethical design brand that specializes in creating sustainable surfaces for architects, designers, and consumers. Founded in 2000 by Paul Hoeve and Lay Koon Tan, the company's mission is to use natural materials, such as eggshells, seeds, bark, and feathers, to create innovative and sustainable designs. It combines traditional craftsmanship with cutting-edge technology to capture the unique beauty of natural materials that are neither endangered, protected, nor threatened. To achieve this, the company primarily sources its materials from industries such as farming and fishing, and transforms what would normally be considered waste into stylish and functional products. As a result, Nature Squared has become a leader in design innovation, offering a range of eco-friendly surfaces and products that are both aesthetically pleasing and environmentally responsible.
Addressed Food Waste Challenge:
By prioritizing high-quality material selection, Nature Squared is committed to fostering sustainable growth in the developing countries where it operates. With a focus on the farming and fishing industries, the company not only contributes to waste recycling but also raises public awareness of the abundance of natural materials available.
Shellworks
Case Type:
Turning waste materials like discarded shells into degradable items.
Description:
Shellworks is a London-based design company that creates innovative products using waste materials from the food industry. Founded in 2018 by a team of designers with backgrounds in engineering and product design, the company aims to tackle the problem of waste in the food industry by repurposing discarded shells and other waste materials into sustainable and functional products. They use a range of materials, including shrimp, crab, and lobster shells, to create biodegradable and compostable packaging, tableware, and other household items.
Addressed Food Waste Challenge:
Through their innovative use of waste materials, Shellworks is helping to create a more sustainable future by reducing the amount of waste generated by the food industry and promoting the use of eco-friendly materials and products.
Breer
Case Type:
Turning surplus bread into beer
Description:
Breer is a food circular economy startup that produces high-quality craft beer using discarded bread. Their vision is to make the world a better place. Breer’s primary source of raw materials comes from local restaurants in Hong Kong. Within a year of its establishment, it has partnered with three local chain bakeries and two craft breweries to collect the surplus bread from their daily operations to make beer. The company has also collaborated with leading companies in the local food and beverage industry, and hopes to receive more support from food and beverage industry alliances that are committed to helping startups with product distribution.
Addressed Food Waste Challenge:
As one of the most commonly consumed foods, the massive supply of bread also brings a massive scale of waste caused by low–quality and expired bread. Breer offers an innovative solution to this challenge that not only caters to consumers' habits, but also raises public
CHOMPHK
Case Type:
An Mobile APP offers customers with package of short-dated products
Description:
CHOMPHK is a food-saving app designed to encourage sustainable living in Hong Kong. The platform connects F&B businesses to customers who can purchase unsold food items directly from them through a Mystery Box. The box consists of different kinds of goods and food that can be reused by customers. Additionally, the company’s pickup-only model further encourages sustainable practices by reducing carbon emissions often caused by delivery services.
Addressed Food Waste Challenge:
Given that food expiration is a significant contributor to food waste, CHOMPHK's initiative presents a viable solution to waste reduction, connecting market demand while at the same time promoting more sustainable consumption practices.
GreenPrice
Case Type:
Supermarket chain that focuses on selling short-dated groceries
Description:
Greenprice is a supermarket chain in Hong Kong that specializes in organic and natural products. The company aims to promote healthy and sustainable living through the sale of environmentally friendly products that are close to their expiration date or “best before” a certain date, as well as through educational programs and community outreach efforts. Greenprice stores offer a wide range of products including organic fruits and vegetables, whole grains, natural supplements, and eco-friendly household items. Other than that, the company also supports local farmers and small businesses, and works to reduce waste and energy consumption in its operations.
Addressed Food Waste Challenge:
Greenprice’s approach reduces food waste produced at the downstream stage of the grocery market, and also works towards changing Hong Kong people’s perception of “expired goods”.
ReGrained
Case Type:
Turning discarded grain into different products
Description:
ReGrained is a food company based in California that specializes in upcycling food waste into tasty and nutritious snacks. The company was founded in 2014 by Daniel Kurzrock and Jordan Schwartz, who were inspired to start ReGrained after realizing that large quantities of grain were being discarded by breweries during the beer-making process. ReGrained uses these discarded grains, which are still high in protein and fiber, to make its products. The company's flagship product is a line of snack bars, which come in a variety of flavors and are made with upcycled grain, nuts, seeds, and fruit. ReGrained's bars are sold in grocery stores and online, and the company has also partnered with food service providers to bring its products to workplaces, schools, and other venues. In addition to its snack bars, ReGrained is also developing other upcycled food products, such as baking mixes and protein powders. The company's focus on upcycling food waste is part of its broader mission to promote sustainability and reduce the environmental impact of food production.
Addressed Food Waste Challenge:
According to the United Nations, approximately one-third of all food produced globally is lost or wasted each year, contributing to environmental and economic problems. By upcycling food waste into nutritious and tasty products, ReGrained is not only helping to reduce the environmental impact of food waste, but also providing a healthy and delicious snack option for all consumers.
Apeel Sciences
Case Type:
Creates plant-based coating to extend food’s shelf life
Description:
Apeel Sciences is a food technology company based out of California that specializes in developing natural solutions to extend the shelf life of fresh produce. The company was founded in 2012 by James Rogers, a materials science PhD, who developed the idea of using plant-derived materials to create a protective barrier around fresh produce. Apeel's technology works by using a plant-derived coating to slow down the rate of water loss and oxidation in produce, the two main factors that cause fruits and vegetables to spoil. The coating is made from materials found in the peels, seeds, and pulp of fruits and vegetables, and is both edible and tasteless. In addition to its work in extending the shelf life of fresh produce, Apeel is also committed to promoting sustainable and responsible farming practices. The company collaborates with growers to optimize their harvest and distribution processes, and helps them reduce waste and improve efficiency.
Addressed Food Waste Challenge:
Apeel's plant-derived coating slows down the rate of water loss and oxidation in produce, the two main factors that cause fruits and vegetables to spoil. By extending the shelf life of fresh produce, Apeel is able to reduce the amount of food that is wasted due to spoilage and improve the quality and freshness of produce for consumers, helping to reduce both the environmental and the economic cost of wasted food.
Too Good To Go
Case Type:
Mobile APP that allows consumers to buy surplus food directly from firms
Description:
Too Good To Go, a food waste reduction company from Denmark, operates a mobile app that connects users with local food businesses that have surplus food. The company was founded in 2015 by a group of entrepreneurs motivated to tackle the problem of food waste and food insecurity. Its mobile app allows users to purchase surplus food from restaurants, cafes, bakeries, and other food businesses at discounted prices. The food offered is typically items that would otherwise go to waste, such as unsold items at the end of the day or excess inventory that cannot be sold due to aesthetic imperfections. Users can easily browse available food options in their area, purchase the food through the app, and then pick it up at the designated time and location.
Addressed Food Waste Challenge:
By connecting users to surplus food, Too Good To Go can reduce food waste and provide a more sustainable and affordable food option for consumers. The company's platform helps to address the environmental and economic impacts of food waste, while promoting more responsible consumption practices.
Leanpath
Case Type:
Tools to track and analyze food waste in commercial kitchens
Description:
Leanpath is a food waste reduction technology company based in Oregon that provides software and hardware solutions to help commercial kitchens and food service operations reduce food waste. The company was founded in 2004 by Andrew Shakman and Steven Finn, who were inspired to tackle the problem of food waste after witnessing the amount of food that was being wasted in their own workplaces. The company’s technology measures and tracks food waste in real-time, enabling food service operators to identify areas where waste occurs and take steps to reduce it. Leanpath also provides training and consulting services to help food service operators implement effective waste reduction strategies and optimize their operations.
Addressed Food Waste Challenge:
By providing data-driven insights into food waste, Leanpath helps food service operators identify key areas of waste production and take steps to reduce it. This helps to reduce the environmental and economic impacts of food waste, while also improving the efficiency and profitability of food service operations. By working with a range of clients, including universities, hospitals, hotels, and restaurants, Leanpath is helping to promote more responsible and sustainable practices in the food service industry.
Food Cowboy
Case Type:
A platform that connects food donors with local organizations
Description:
Food Cowboy is a food waste reduction company based in Virginia that makes great use of technology to connect food businesses with surplus food to food banks and other organizations that can use it. The company was founded in 2012 by Roger Gordon, who was inspired to tackle the problem of food waste after witnessing the amount of surplus food that was being thrown away by his local food businesses. Through the platform, food businesses can upload information about their surplus food, including quantity, location, and type of food. The platform then connects these businesses with food banks and other organizations in the area that can use the food. This helps to ensure that surplus food is not wasted but put to good use, rather than being wasted. The company works with a range of clients, including grocery stores, restaurants, and food distributors, and has helped to divert millions of pounds of surplus food from landfills.
Addressed Food Waste Challenge:
By connecting food businesses with organizations that can use their surplus food, Food Cowboy is able to reduce the amount of food that ends up in landfills, while also helping to address issues of food insecurity and lack of access to healthy food options for many people. The company's platform is also able to help food businesses reduce their environmental and economic impact by diverting surplus food from waste streams and helping them save money on disposal costs.
