This is how the environmental problem becomes business

In addition to public campaigns such as “Too good for the bin”, more and more innovative business models are emerging in Germany that curb waste – and thus also protect the climate. Because food waste is responsible for ten percent of all greenhouse gas emissions.

The start-ups, but also many established manufacturers, start everywhere in the value chain. Because while in Germany 52 percent of waste is generated by consumers, all other sectors are also affected. An overview:

Agriculture

A significant part of the harvest remains in the field because the appearance of the crops does not meet the desired standard. The company Etepetete from Munich sells crooked organic vegetables and fruits with blemishes online.

Start-ups such as Querfeld from Berlin also supply private individuals and canteens with “crooked things” that would otherwise never have found their way from organic farmers to retailers. Dörrwerk specializes in the processing of fruit and vegetables that have been rejected due to aesthetic defects. The Berlin-based company sells products from organic soups to fruit spreads under the “Rettergut” label.

production

At the grain processor Nordgetreide, large quantities of maize grits are produced as residues. According to a patented process from the University of Göttingen, the Lübeck-based company and its sister company Plant Pack are now producing sustainable packaging from puffed corn grits.

The natural material is shockproof, heat-insulating and can be shaped in almost any way. It is suitable for the transport of electrical devices or for temperature-sensitive food or medication. Unlike Styrofoam, Plant Pack can be disposed of in the organic waste bin or on the compost.

The Allgäu private cheese dairy Hochland founded the internal start-up Beetgold after an ideas competition. This produces tortilla chips from vegetable pomace that is produced when juicing – previously in the varieties of carrot and beetroot. “The leftovers are a high-quality raw material full of fiber. It would be a shame if they end up as animal feed, ”says Hochland boss Peter Stahl. “This is how we can help reduce food waste.”

trade

The major wholesalers and retailers in Germany lost 1.5 percent of their food sales in 2020 because they believed that the products could no longer be sold, according to the EHI Retail Institute. In the previous year it was 1.76 percent.

Retail donates around 30 percent to charitable organizations. The approximately 950 food banks in this country save 265,000 tons of surplus food annually, primarily in supermarkets, large bakeries and wholesalers. 1.65 million people in need look after themselves there. Platforms such as Foodsharing.de also distribute unused products on a voluntary basis and free of charge.

But it also applies: If food stays fresh longer, it ends up in the bin less often. That is why Lidl recently started packing its organic cucumbers in foil again. But it’s not just the controversial plastic that guarantees freshness. Supermarkets like Edeka sell avocados and citrus fruits with an edible protective layer. The Californian start-up Apeel Sciences developed the coating, which delays ripening, from vegetable fats obtained from peel and pulp residues.

The online supermarket Motatos, on the other hand, saves goods from overproduction, with incorrect packaging or a short shelf life and sells them cheaply. The Swedes have been with their slogan since April 2020. “Save money and save the planet” active in Germany. Branded products from Coca-Cola to Milka chocolate are sold at high discounts. Most recently, the Swedes raised 35 million euros in capital.

Sirplus works in a similar way. Since 2017, the impact start-up has been selling surplus groceries that the food banks do not collect at a lower price online. The approximately 800 partners include Danone, Veganz and Edeka Foodservice. The five Berlin branches, however, did not survive the lockdown.

gastronomy

Restaurants and canteens process perishable goods. Digital tools are now replacing the innkeepers’ gut feeling about how much is ordered. “Our AI predicts how many schnitzel, tortellini or salad bowls will be sold,” says Valentin Belser, co-founder of Delicious Data.

Bayer’s gastronomy in Berlin, for example, uses the software to avoid food waste and expensive bad planning. The learning forecast tool combines data from sales history with weather reports and vacation dates. At a bakery chain, the start-up tested an intelligent baking plan so that bread rolls come out of the oven as needed.

Excess sandwiches from the bakery, sushi from the Japanese or a bag of groceries from the supermarket: I can put a surprise bag back with the Too Good To Go (TGTG) app. It costs around four euros, usually a third of the original price. According to its own information, the start-up earns around one euro on each bag.

65 million meals are to be saved this year via the app. About 31 million people in 15 countries use the service. The Danes, who still posted losses in 2020, have big plans: They recently raised $ 31 million for expansion in the USA.

But there is also criticism: The app is being misused as an additional sales channel and creates an incentive to offer the full range until the shop closes. “The customer wants a large selection and short waiting times,” explains Nordsee, a main partner of TGTG. The chain is dependent on always presenting a lot of fish sandwiches.

Ultimately, what matters is which business ideas consumers adopt. They consider sharing platforms and the production of food from leftovers to be particularly effective against waste. This was the result of a survey by the Kearney advisory service, which the Handelsblatt had received in advance. “Ugly food” or unpackaged shops, on the other hand, are assessed as less effective. Above all, consumers do not want to pay extra if they save food.

More: How digital tools can save the catering industry