Best apps to fight food waste and save money in Switzerland

According to ETH Zurich, an astonishing 300 kilograms of edible food per person is thrown away every year in Switzerland. While it's easy to assume this happens mostly in industrial supply chains, private households are actually responsible for a massive portion of that total.

To combat this, the Swiss Federal Council launched an ambitious action plan to halve national food waste, but real change starts in our everyday kitchens.

Whether you are looking to shrink your environmental footprint or stretch your Swiss Francs further, technology makes it easier than ever to make a difference. From scoring discounted "Magic Bags" from local Swiss bakeries, Coop, and Migros, to finding recipes for leftovers using local tech, here are the best apps to help you tackle food waste in Switzerland.

Olio

Olio connects users with neighbours and local shops trying to get rid of leftover food, to help eliminate food waste. Once users have downloaded the app, they can take a photo of any unwanted food item, add a description and where and when the item is available and presto! Instant food sharing. App users can easily browse through the listings available in their area, put out a food request and arrange a pick-up through private messaging.

The UK-based startup also works with local businesses to help tackle food waste. Volunteers visit local stores every day to collect unwanted or surplus food and non-food items. They then photograph the items and list them on the app, offering their homes as local collection points.

With over 1 million users in 32 countries, it's safe to say that Olio is paving the way for a food revolution. Olio is available in all major Swiss cities as well as smaller towns.

Too Good To Go

Initially launched in 2016 in Copenhagen, Too Good To Go encourages consumers across the globe to save good food and fight food waste at the same time. The app connects cafes, supermarkets, hotels and more with consumers looking to purchase unwanted or leftover food. Customers can search through a selection of participating retailers and traders in their neighbourhood and buy a “Magic Bag”. In Switzerland, you can grab food from participating shops like Migros, Coop or local bakeries.

Each bag is filled with edible food that would normally have been thrown away. You never know what you may get in your “Magic Bag”, so beware if you have any severe allergies! Once you have purchased a bag from your retailer of choice, they will offer you a timeframe of when your bag will be ready to be picked up – making saving surplus food a breeze.

Supercook & MyFoodways

Both apps help reduce waste by suggesting recipes based on leftover ingredients or food nearing their use by date. Simply list the ingredients you’re trying to use up, and see exactly what your options are!

Supercook has thousands of recipes, which you can save if you find something you like. Thanks to the simple search function, you can also filter by dietary requirements, for example, if you are vegetarian or vegan, or if you have allergies to certain foods. You can even specify the type of meals you want to make with your chosen ingredients - such as soups, rice dishes or casseroles.

MyFoodways, developed by a company based in Bern, lets you input ingredients and then suggests a tailored receipe to try.

ecomigo

This Swiss food waste app is in its early stages. The app scans your shopping receipt so you can better track what food you have available to cook, in order to reduce waste. ecomigo suggests receipes based on what you have bought and helps you plan and budget for the future.