SINGAPORE – Diners keen to buy unsold food from eateries at up to 80 per cent off the retail price before closing time, instead of letting it go to waste, can tap a new mobile phone application.
The new app, called Yindii, was launched in August and aims to beef up efforts to reduce food waste by eateries.
Customers who use the app are expected to order a “surprise bag” in advance, and they can get any type of unsold food off the menu at day’s end for between 50 per cent and 80 per cent off the usual retail price.
The app touts itself as a “high-quality food surplus marketplace”, and already has tie-ups with popular restaurants, cafes and bakeries, including Paul, Baker&Cook and Saladstop.
Founded in 2020, the app is also available in Hong Kong and Thailand.
Yindii co-founder and chief marketing officer Mahima Rajangam Natarajan said: “We chose to launch in Singapore because it’s a forward-thinking city with a growing focus on sustainability and reducing food waste.”
According to the National Environment Agency (NEA), food waste accounted for about 11 per cent of the total waste generated in Singapore in 2023.
That works out to about 755,000 tonnes, of which 623,000 tonnes were dumped, and the rest recycled.
Food waste is a growing problem. With rising inflation, it has put pressure on both consumers and businesses, Ms Mahima said.
Singapore’s core inflation is expected to average 2.5 per cent to 3 per cent for 2024, according to the Monetary Authority of Singapore.
Ms Mahima said people are struggling with increased living costs, and that makes the idea of buying food at discounted rates more appealing.
Yindii is one of several platforms available in Singapore that has an eye on reducing food waste. Others include apps like Just Dabao and Treatsure.
Just Dabao is similar in that it also offers surprise bags, but some eateries allow customers to choose the food they want. Treatsure allows people to pack food from hotels, as well as buy surplus products from grocers.
In July, the Government introduced the Good Samaritan Food Donation Bill, which protects certain donors from liability for any death or health issues resulting from eating donated cooked, with certain conditions.