PROVIDENCE, RI - For United Natural Foods, Inc. (UNFI), reducing food waste and boosting sustainability remain key pillars of its company growth. Furthering its Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) commitment to these standards, the distributor revealed that it will be expanding its partnership with Too Good To Go, a food waste reduction app and marketplace for surplus food.

“A core value underpinning UNFI’s ESG priorities is our long-standing commitment to doing what’s right for people and the planet while working to assure a safe and nutritious food supply for everyone,” said Matt Whitney, UNFI’s Chief Growth Officer. “We embrace the opportunity to use our expertise, influence, and scale to be a force for positive change within the food system, and we strive to help retailers implement simple solutions that make a real, lasting impact.”

Originally kicking off the relationship with a pilot program in the distributor’s Atlantic region, it has become one of UNFI’s fastest growing solutions and the number of retailers offering the program has almost doubled within the first year.

Too Good To Go utilizes technology to connect consumers with businesses that have surplus food, creating more opportunities for food to be enjoyed instead of tossed out, a press release stated. As grocers come across soon-to-expire or extra food items, they pack them into a “surprise bag,” which are then reserved by shoppers on the Too Good To Go app. Shoppers can then pick up the bags in store, and businesses recover the cost of food that would’ve ended up in the landfill.

Currently, the service is available to UNFI retailers in select cities across the United States, including New York, New York; Chicago, Illinois; San Francisco, California; and Portland, Oregon. Through the expansion of Too Good To Go, retailers in additional cities will be able to utilize the service and take actionable steps to combat climate change and food insecurity.

“We are excited to work with UNFI to expand our ability to save more food by connecting our users with uneaten, extra products at independent retail stores. By working together, we can help ensure delicious food doesn’t go to waste. That’s a big win for people, businesses, and our planet,” said Tyler Simmons, Head of U.S. Key Accounts at Too Good To Go.

Click here to learn more about UNFI’s relationship with Too Good To Go and the other steps it’s taking to reduce food waste.

As UNFI announces future moves to up its Environmental, Social, and Governance engagement, AndNowUKnow will share the latest.

United Natural Foods, Inc.