These startups are helping us reduce food waste

Getting the most out of our products and the environment is so important and one of the main ways we fail to do this is through food waste. The Waste and Resources Action Programme even estimates that 9.5 million tonnes of food is wasted in the UK every year.

In addition, a shocking 70% of food waste in the UK comes from households, with each household throwing away around £470 worth of food a year. This equates to 25 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions, and it shows how damaging something that may seem insignificant, like throwing food away, can be.

What is the government doing to reduce food waste?

The Government is taking action to reduce food waste across a range of sectors, with a key action being supporting voluntary initiatives such as the Courtauld Commitment 2030, which brings together organisations from across the food supply chain to reduce waste.

The aim of this programme is to reduce food waste by 50% by 2023.

In addition to the programs, for example, the government is also working to introduce more consistent waste collection services across the country and ensure that local authorities provide separate food waste collection services by 2026. Of course, it goes without saying that the responsibility also lies with consumers and households, but the government and startups are here to help.

What are startups doing to help reduce food waste?

Startups recognise the need for more sustainable solutions to address this, so they are working in a way that combines technology and innovation to reduce the amount of food wasted in the UK and EU. These 5 startups are doing the following:

1. The burrows

Based in Dublin, Ireland, Nory AI pioneered the first AI-powered operating system designed specifically for the hospitality industry. The platform consolidates key operational functions into a single, intelligent application, centralizing essential tasks such as daily revenue tracking, employee scheduling, and supply chain management. By analyzing data from these disparate functions, Nory delivers actionable insights that help teams streamline operations, reduce costs, and run properties more efficiently.

The primary application of Nora’s AI capabilities is food waste reduction. By optimizing inventory management, restaurants can significantly reduce food waste, leading to significant environmental benefits. This not only reduces operating costs, but also helps restaurants comply with increasingly stringent sustainability regulations. As food waste regulations become more stringent, Nora’s AI-based solutions enable restaurants to stay ahead of these requirements while demonstrating a strong commitment to environmental responsibility.

Nory was founded by Conor Sheridan, a hospitality industry veteran who previously founded and grew Mad Egg, Ireland’s fastest growing independent restaurant group. Disillusioned with existing software solutions, Sheridan created Nory to address critical challenges facing the hospitality industry. Nory now works with leading hospitality brands across Europe and the UK including Jamie Oliver, Stonegate Pubs and Viva Italia Group.

2. Clean Food Group

Clean Food Group is a UK food technology startup committed to revolutionising the food and cosmetics industry by providing ready-made, sustainable solutions for oils and fats. The company uses advanced technology to create alternative ingredients that are not only healthier, but also more environmentally friendly and actively contribute to reducing food waste.

This proprietary technology platform was developed following eight years of pioneering research by Professor Chris Chuck, Technical Lead at Clean Food Group, formerly of the University of Bath. The technology uses scalable yeast strains and innovative fermentation processes to transform food waste into sustainable alternatives to traditional oil and fat ingredients.

In December 2023, Clean Food Group partnered with UK bakery chain Roberts Bakery to use Roberts Bakery’s waste bread as a feedstock for Clean Food Group’s fermentation technology, effectively turning waste into a valuable resource to be reintroduced into the food cycle.

Founded in 2022 by CEO Alex Neves, Clean Food Group was founded with a clear mission: to produce healthier, more sustainable alternatives to conventional food ingredients without compromising taste or performance. The company’s work is not just about replacing traditional ingredients, but also setting new standards for sustainability in the global food industry.

3. Martee.ai

Founders Harry Slagel and Lucy Adams harness the power of AI to forecast fresh food sales for retailers. The Martee platform unlocks dramatically improved demand forecasting accuracy for food businesses and solves the entire sector’s consumer demand forecasting problem – the symptoms of overvalued fresh produce, restrictive ultra-processed options, and empty ready-to-eat shelves (in addition to the food waste we hear so much about).

Their primary metric is shelf availability. They provide businesses with the tools they need to increase sales and customer satisfaction without wasting too much food.

4. B!POD

DRO!D, the new kitchen gadget from B!POD, is a one-of-a-kind food vacuum cleaner that provides long-lasting freshness to food, making it edible up to 5 times longer than normal storage, helping to avoid food waste.

The vacuum food sealer uses innovative technology to eliminate 95% of oxygen molecules and stop food oxidation in just 30 seconds. It is the most efficient vacuum food sealer available to consumers in the UK.

DRO!D, made from recycled ocean plastic, allows you to store fresh, raw, dry and cooked food, in solid and liquid form, while maintaining the nutritional properties of food without affecting its smell, colour and texture.

5. Strange box

Oddbox is a UK startup that aims to reduce food waste by delivering fruit and veg boxes directly to people’s doors. The company works closely with farmers to rescue produce that would otherwise be thrown away due to being ‘too big’, ‘too small’ or simply too much.

Oddbox offers a variety of box options, allowing customers to choose from a variety of sizes and types, as well as choosing fruit, vegetables or both. These boxes are delivered overnight to minimize emissions, similar to traditional milk deliveries.

The company’s mission is to combat food waste by giving a second chance to perfectly good produce that may not meet standard retail requirements. Oddbox educates its customers on the causes of food waste, such as weather affecting crops or market demand leaving a surplus of produce. The company also has creative recipes to help its community make the most of their weekly deliveries.