What Is Saveagram?

5 September 2020

Food waste is one of the biggest environmental problems on the planet. Roughly a third of all food produced globally is thrown away — that is 1.3 billion tonnes every year. For vegans who care about sustainability, reducing food waste is a natural extension of the plant-based ethos. Enter Saveagram, an app designed to tackle food waste by connecting consumers with surplus food from restaurants, cafes, and supermarkets at discounted prices.

How It Works

Saveagram works on a simple concept: businesses list surplus food that would otherwise be thrown away at the end of the day, and users can buy it at a significant discount — typically 50 to 70 per cent off. You browse available "magic bags" or specific items near your location, pay through the app, and pick up the food during a designated collection window.

The model is similar to apps like Too Good To Go, Olio, and Karma, which have gained huge popularity across Europe and are now expanding into Asia. The common thread is simple: perfectly good food should not end up in landfill.

Why Vegans Should Care

The environmental argument for veganism is compelling: plant-based diets use less land, less water, and produce fewer greenhouse gas emissions. But food waste undermines all of that. When plant-based food goes to landfill, it produces methane — a greenhouse gas 80 times more potent than CO2 over a 20-year period. Reducing food waste is one of the single most impactful things any individual can do for the planet, alongside eating less meat.

Many of the businesses on food waste apps are bakeries, juice bars, and salad shops that offer plenty of vegan options. Some apps let you filter by dietary preference, making it easy to find plant-based surplus food near you.

Food Waste Apps Available in Asia

• Too Good To Go: The largest food waste app globally, now operating in 17 countries. Expanding into Asian markets.
• Olio: A community-driven app where individuals and businesses share surplus food for free. Active in the UK and growing globally.
• Karma: Popular in Sweden and the UK. Lets you buy surplus meals from restaurants at half price.
• treatsure: Singapore-based app connecting consumers with buffet surplus food from hotels.

What You Can Do

Download a food waste app and try it. Plan your meals to reduce waste at home. Compost what you cannot eat. Buy "ugly" fruit and vegetables that supermarkets would otherwise reject. Every meal saved from the bin is a win for the planet. For more on sustainable living as a vegan, read our guide to 25 ways to save water.