Using Your Phone For Good
Ambassador Olivia writes about how you can use your phone to reduce your food waste through apps and online resources.
Thanks to previous Ambassador blog posts, we’ve learned all about food waste and why it is a significant issue – and if you haven’t read this month's blog posts, I urge you to check them out!
With great knowledge comes great responsibility, and it is now time to put our knowledge to use and find ways to reduce our food waste... using our phones. This blog post will be highlighting some mobile apps and online resources that can help you to reduce your food waste. This way, the next time someone tells you you’re on your phone too much, you can tell them you are using it to do some good.
Olio
The first app I’d like to introduce is Olio. The Olio app aims to reduce food waste by connecting users with locals who post when they have a surplus of food, food items they will not use, or food items they have that will go bad soon. This allows users to connect with others who would be interested in picking up these food items or trading food items. The app has also expanded to allow people to trade or give away things other than food items as well. It is definitely worth checking out. This app is not exclusive to Halifax or Nova Scotia, so if you are in another province or country, feel free to download it as well!
Flash Food & Food Hero
The second app (and my personal favourite) is Flash Food. This app uses your location to show you local grocery stores that are giving away food that they cannot sell or food that will be going bad soon at very discounted prices (see the picture to the right for some examples).
This is a great way to save food items from the landfill and save some extra cash at the same time. Once again, this app is not exclusive to Halifax. If you are outside in Quebec, you can also use the Food Hero app.
Halifax Recycles
This app helps users determine what waste goes where. This can help you reduce the amount of food packaging you send to the landfill and ensure that you sort your food waste properly. Although Halifax Recycles presents information pertinent to the HRM, other cities and provinces have equivalent apps, like Quebec's 'Ça va où?' app.
The Good Trade
Aside from apps, The Good Trade (@thegoodtrade) is a great Instagram resource. They post about sustainability and slow living, which sometimes includes posts about food waste (see the post below). You can also sign up for their newsletters, which include sustainability tips and products.
I encourage you to download/visit one or all of these resources. Especially for Olio, this app works best when there is a big community using it. Feel free to comment below with some other apps or online resources that you know of that can help others to reduce their food waste.
Originally from Montreal, Olivia has lived in Nova Scotia for the last three years and is currently a Master's student at Dalhousie University. In her spare time, you can find her exploring the beautiful sights of Nova Scotia and documenting them on her Instagram account @thenostalgictraveler.