Foodstuffs North Island, the cooperative behind New World PAK’nSAVE and Four Square, has announced their new app, named Whywaste.
Announced at the start of Food Waste Action Week, the trial for the app is presently underway. The application is designed as a supermarket management tool to minimise food wastage.
“Whywaste drastically reduces the time spent on date-checking and provides a daily plan for staff members to rotate stock, ensuring less wasted product. The app's real value lies in ensuring that food is sold before it passes its use-by date, enabling stores to reduce their food waste,” explained Emma Harding, Waste Minimisation Manager for Foodstuffs.
The cooperatives stores across the north island are trialling the app to assess its effectiveness. Designed to be sophisticated and easy to use, early indications of the app have revealed significant potential.
“Whywaste is great because it’s increased our efficiency with our date-checking processes and is directly helping us reduce our food waste. It’s freeing up time for the team, and because it’s a daily process, it gets our people engaged, which makes it easier to assess how we’re doing,” stated Kym Samuels, Owner Operator of New World Morrinsville.
The app reflects the growing desire for environmentally friendlier practices and systems, which Foodstuffs has committed. By the end of 2027, the enterprise aims to have zero food waste. With over a third of New Zealand’s food going to waste, the app provides an innovative potential solution to avoid this.
Food Waste Action Week is a global campaign from the 6th to the 12th of March, 2023. The purpose of the week aims to raise awareness of food waste and change the behaviour of consumers.
