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In most cases, proactivity is a positive action, especially in the case of preventing food waste. With their new app, Spoiler Alert, MIT Sloan graduates, Ricky Ashenfelter and Emily Malina are hoping to reduce the amount of food waste, making sure food goes to those in need before it spoils and ends up in our landfills.
And people everywhere could benefit from this ingenious app. Spoiler Alert offers a business-to-business online marketplace that helps organizations distribute their excess foods before the items go bad. One of the best parts about the technology is that companies could provide meals/food for those who need it most, using their existing supplies while helping the environment.
The software helps grocery stores, wholesale distributors, and food manufacturers see which items are underselling and donate the foods to nonprofits, or low-cost supermarkets. If the food is no longer edible, it’s turned into compost or fertilizer.
When a business lists their inventory with the app, all other organizations/companies using the app receive a notification. They’re then able to communicate with each other in real time, so if a product isn’t selling as well, they can immediately donate it and eliminate waste.
One of the best things about the technology is that it’s free for businesses, and the process makes it easy for them to get their food to the right place, all while saving time and money. The solution truly benefits everyone involved.
Malina’s ultimate goal is to completely eliminate wasted food. “If we get to the point where there is zero wasted food, I will feel like we have done our job...“Food is a really tricky product given its short shelf life, so businesses will always need a real-time solution to deal with variability in their inventories and supply chains.”
Although the app solely runs out of New England currently, Spoiler Alert hopes to expand into cities such as New York City, San Francisco, Seattle, and more to spread the idea that food purchased doesn’t need to translate into food wasted. With their app, Ashenfelter and Malina are working towards saving the environment and feeding those in need.
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