A matchmaking app allowing suppliers to buy and sell food that would otherwise be dumped has been developed by major British supermarket chain Asda. 

The subsidiary of U.S-headquartered Wal-Mart recently launched Asda Surplus Swap, which connects suppliers of unwanted food like leftover ingredients, finished produce or vegetable trimmings, with other suppliers who could make use of it.

Instead of throwing away surplus produce, app users can upload images in a marketplace-style platform, and any other interested supplier can connect and arrange the purchase and exchange.

It doesn’t matter who the produce was grown for, it can be bought and sold on the app. 

Water Resources Action Programme (WRAP) estimates 45% of food waste in the U.K. comes from the supply chain, while 8.4 million families in Britain are struggling to put food on the table.

"We know our customers and suppliers care about food waste, and so do we, which is why we have committed to doubling our food redistribution by 2020,” Asda vice president of corporate affairs Charlotte Cool said.

"But there is a huge amount of work that needs to be done in addressing this challenge so we refuse to be complacent - our aim is to have an end to end approach to food waste and we will continue to find new ways to combat the issue to ensure we reach our target."

Surplus Swap is receiving positive feedback from suppliers and industry.

"The app is a great idea because it will allow purchasers to locate out-graded fresh produce and ingredients from the supply chain that could still be utilised for food and drink production," says Ivor Lyons, director at Jumpin' Juice, a wholesale provider of fresh produce for juicing and smoothies.

"A major benefit will be having the availability of produce information in one central place, rather than the daily need to communicate with different sites.

"We all know there is a percentage of excess produce and ingredients in the supply chain so it's our environmental duty to make best use of it."

Asda is signed up to its parent company’s sustainability targets, which include zero waste to landfill by 2025 and working towards 100% renewable energy.

Photo: Elliott Brown, via Flickr Creative Commons

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