Longo’s, Too Good To Go team up to reduce food waste
Longo’s is partnering with Too Good To Go to sell surplus food that would otherwise go to waste at a discount.
All 36 of the company’s stores across Toronto and the Greater Toronto Area will offer “Surprise Bags” (one with bakery products and one with prepared food) for one third of the retail cost.
Pat Pessotto, executive vice president of sustainability and industry relations at Longo’s, told Canadian Grocer the company hopes to include other food categories in the future.
“At Longo’s, sustainability has always been a critical part of our mission and we are always striving to create partnerships that bring us closer to our sustainability goals," Pessotto said. "We have taken our responsibility as environmental stewards seriously and set lofty goals including mitigating greenhouse emissions, increasing local and sustainable sourcing as well as reducing food waste whenever possible."
Longo’s is the largest Canadian grocery store to partner with Too Good To Go.
Founded in 2016, the organization (which has been expanding its reach across Canada this year) has saved more than 156 million meals thanks to partnerships with over 165,000 businesses across 17 countries.
The Surprise Bags (which consumers can purchase the bags via the Too Good To Go app) represent a significant stepping stone towards Longo’s pledge to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
"Food waste is a global issue that cannot be ignored. Too Good to Go is an incredible organization working to be a part of the solution," said Anthony Longo, president and CEO of Longo's, in a release. "Partnering with Too Good To Go supports our goals to reduce emissions, contributes to our bold zero waste ambitions, and gets us closer to achieving our goal of reaching 90% landfill diversion by 2025."
Longo's also offers donation programs and invests in food waste reduction projects. In its 2021 Sustainability Report, the company reported donating 203,000 kgs. of surplus food from its stores.
The Too Good To Go app connects consumers to surplus food from local restaurants and grocery stores, such as pastries, fresh produce, sushi and more, which would otherwise be thrown away to make room for the next batch of goods.