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Source: Kitche

The feature shows how much water, CO2 and money an app user has saved every week from reducing their food waste

Food waste app Kitche has upgraded its platform so users can track the impact their anti-waste efforts are having on the environment and their pockets.

Kitche, which looks to defeat household waste by monitoring users’ food purchases, products nearing best-before dates, and offering relevant recipes based on what’s in the cupboard, added the new feature to its app this week, allowing users to track the results of their food waste for the first time.

It shows how much water, CO2 and money an app user has saved every week from reducing their food waste.

People can also create their own missions, take on challenges, and view a graph of their food waste cost versus the national average, helping to incentivise users, the business said.

“Our original aim was to help people live more sustainable lives and save money, but with the worst cost of living crisis in a generation upon us we now feel we’re on even more of a mission,” said Kitche co-CEOs Lynsey Scott and Alex Vlassopulos.

“Our relaunched app is easier to use than ever and clearly shows people what positive impact their food waste reduction has on the environment and their pockets. We will keep evolving and continue to make a real difference to food budgets and the planet.”

Helen White, Wrap’s special adviser for household food waste prevention, said: “One of the reasons why household food waste continues to be a major issue is that we often fail to see how much goes in the bin uneaten, every week. Our research shows that people vastly underestimate their food waste, with the average family disposing of the equivalent of one in eight meals a week.

“Giving people the ability to record how much food they waste, and how much that costs them – and the environment – is a great way to drive home the real cost of wasting valuable food.”

Since launching three years ago, Kitche has achieved over 50,000 downloads in the UK and gained over 10,000 followers across its social channels, while nearly 20,000 people have signed up to its monthly email newsletter. 

The app enjoyed a wave of new partnerships with local authorities last year, including London Borough of Bexley Council and Buckinghamshire Council, and is currently in discussions with two supermarkets.