Loblaw has announced a milestone in its efforts to fight climate change by reducing food waste. Since 2019, the retailer and Flashfood, a business connecting consumers to discounted food nearing its best-before date, have diverted 40 million pounds of food from landfills and helped Canadians save more than $110 million on groceries.
Flashfood is available across 720 Loblaw locations.
Over 1.6 million Canadians have used Flashfood to save money and reduce waste. The service enables shoppers to save up to 50 percent off items nearing their best-by dates. These foods include meats, dairy, seafood, fresh fruits and vegetables, and snacks. Purchases are made directly through the app and users can pick up orders from the Flashfood Zone located inside their participating store.
"As a purpose-led organization, Loblaw is firmly committed to helping Canadians live life well. By partnering with Flashfood, we are reducing our impact on the environment while also helping our customers save money," said Robert Sawyer, COO at Loblaw, in a statement. "This is an incredible milestone, made possible thanks to industry leaders like Flashfood, and we look forward to the ongoing impact of our partnership."
The 40 million pounds of food diverted equates to 76 million pounds of carbon dioxide equivalent saved from reaching the atmosphere.
"Loblaw was our first partner to scale and continues to be our biggest partner," said Flashfood founder and CEO, Josh Domingues, in a statement. "The 40 million pounds of food saved milestone underscores the ability of our mobile marketplace to deliver on our mission to reduce food waste and connect families with more affordable groceries. Loblaw is an industry leader in food waste reduction and this milestone is just the beginning of the impact we'll continue to make for Canadian shoppers and families."
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