Restaurants, grocery stores, and even individuals can use the app to distribute prime leftovers to hungry citizens.
It’s astounding to consider that in America, approximately 40% of the food produced goes to waste. Keep in mind, other developed nations waste plenty of perfectly nutritious food, as well, but this reality is ongoing despite the fact that 795 million people go to bed hungry each evening. A number of initiatives exist to help reduce food waste, but real change must begin with the consumer.
To help remedy the conundrum of food waste, a new app called “Uber Against Hunger” has been developed and is presently being tested in Austin, Texas. So far, 1,000 meals that would have otherwise been tossed into the trash have been delivered to the needy.
GoodNewsNetwork reports that the app relies on the “sharing economy” and works similar to the Uber ride-sharing service. Its creators say the ultimate aim is to use technology – and peoples’ good intentions – to “hack hunger.”
How Does It Work?
As you’ll learn about in the video below, restaurants, grocery stores, and even individuals just need to click on the app to announce that they have leftovers to share. The app then sends the information to nearby volunteer drivers who are willing to pick up the food and deliver it to people in need.
There’s an added perk: the app even calculates the value of the food donation so philanthropists can declare it as a tax deductible contribution on their income taxes.
The Unsung app is expected to be available for all U.S. residents to use later this year. Following are two videos which explain how the app works:
What are your thoughts? Will you use this app when it’s available? Please comment your thoughts below and share this news!
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