Have you ever wondered what happens to all of the unsold food from shops and restaurants at the end of the day? Unfortunately, much of it gets thrown in the trash. Not only does this food waste contribute to climate change, but it also exacerbates food insecurity—an issue that is fast on the rise following the restaurant closures and panic buying common during the Covid pandemic.

In Europe and America, innovative apps such as Too Good To Go have long been combating food waste by providing a platform for shops and restaurants to offer their unsold food items at a discount. Now, the new website, Yindii, is bringing a similar service to Bangkok. 

After witnessing first-hand the scale of food waste at hotels across Southeast Asia, French co-founder Louis-Alban Batard-Dupre decided to volunteer with SOS Thailand, a Bangkok-based foundation that rescues excess food to make meals for the needy. Seeing that these efforts only scratched the surface, he teamed up with Thai app developer Chairat "Sam" Suwannapak to launch a sustainable initiative to support the battle against food waste in Bangkok.

After just one month, the pair have teamed up with over 20 stores, including Landhaus and Le Macaron for baked goods; Green Angels Organics and Farmtastic for fresh fruit and veggies; Man and the Figs and Hummus Heads for delicious meals; and numerous others. After you’ve created an account, you can browse the vendors, each of whom offer “Yindii Boxes”—surprise baskets packed with surplus food, offered at discounts of between 50-to-70 percent off retail price. Boxes are available for pick-up or delivery around the closing time of each store and customers are given an indication of the amount and type of goods to expect. If your chosen store has extra to give away at the end of the day, you may even get lucky and have a few bonus items thrown in.

Reducing food waste while saving money? Sounds like a win-win to us! Check the website out for yourself here and stay tuned to their Instagram Story for daily updates on their hottest deals.