Tonight's on me: free food with a simple app

Food isn't wasted only in large-scale retail outlets, where a product that's bruised or close to its expiration date is enough to end up in the garbage. Small local shops also get wasted: delicatessens, bakeries, fishmongers, butchers, and greengrocers.

TONIGHT I'M ON COVER

For shops of this size, it's even more difficult to avoid wasting leftovers. They lack connections with large-scale retail chains and struggle to organize themselves to manage surpluses without wasting them. This is where the Stasera Offro io project comes in . It's a web-based platform created by the Rome Food Bank . It's easy to manage, even from a smartphone, using an app , the most effective technological tool for reducing food waste . It also brings donors closer to those who benefit from food that would otherwise be wasted.

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WHO'S DONATING THE FOOD AT TONIGHT'S ON ME?

All food donations for Stasera Offro Io are made through the platform . The Rome Food Bank enters into agreements with individual donors in the province, who then access the platform using their credentials. When the donor believes they have excess products, they upload them to the platform and also indicate the time and place for pickup. At this point, the guests, associations that provide social assistance in the area, and even individuals in need, get directly involved. Using the app , they can go to the store, pick up the food, and deliver it to the families already identified for donation.

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TONIGHT'S ADVANTAGES ARE ON ME

Everyone who participates in the Stasera Offro Io solidarity chain benefits significantly from the anti-waste project. Shopkeepers produce less waste (for which they have to pay) and have the opportunity to make themselves known in the local area through the best means: solidarity . Associations have a source from which to draw food and products for their volunteer work . And individual guests, whether individuals or families, have the opportunity to shop free of charge.

TONIGHT I'M OFFERING VIDEO

SOLIDARITY SHOPS:

• Solidarity Shops: The Best in Italy
• Solidarity shops: a region-by-region map
• Solidarity bakeries: wherever possible, donate bread to the poor every day. This prevents waste and helps those in need.