How Food Rescue Apps Saved 26 Million Meals in One Year

The numbers are staggering — and hopeful. In 2025 alone, food rescue technology platforms collectively saved hundreds of millions of meals from landfills, proving that the right app at the right moment can turn waste into nourishment.

Too Good To Go: 26 Million Meals in the US

Too Good To Go, founded in Denmark in 2016, has become the world's largest marketplace for surplus food. In the United States, the app saved 26 million meals in a single year. Globally, the number exceeds 400 million. With over 90 million registered users across 17 countries and partnerships with Whole Foods, IKEA, and 7-Eleven, the platform has proven that consumers will eagerly buy surplus food at a discount — and that businesses benefit from revenue they'd otherwise lose.

Careit and the Grocery Store Revolution

Meanwhile, Careit has rescued 155 million pounds of food from over 3,000 grocery stores since launching in 2021. By integrating directly with store inventory systems, the platform identifies surplus before it becomes waste, connecting it with food banks and pantries in real time. The approach is simple: make donation as easy as disposal.

412 Food Rescue: 160 Million Pounds via Volunteers

In a different model, 412 Food Rescue (now Food Rescue Hero) has mobilized 51,000 volunteers across 37 North American communities to redistribute 160 million pounds of food. Their research shows that 92% of recipient families say the rescued food helps them make ends meet. It's Uber for food rescue — volunteers sign up for pickups on their phone, drive the food to a nearby pantry, and log their impact.

Leanpath: Preventing Waste Before It Happens

On the prevention side, Leanpath's kitchen tracking technology helped partners prevent 38 million pounds of food waste in 2025 — equivalent to 32 million meals. The Sheraton Amsterdam, for example, cut its food waste by 50% using Leanpath's measurement tools. When chefs can see exactly what they're throwing away, behavior changes fast.

The Farmlink Project: From College Dorm to National Impact

The Farmlink Project, founded by college students in 2020, has now rescued 130 million pounds of food, partnering with Chipotle and Kroger to redirect surplus from farms and distribution centers to food banks.

The common thread? Technology makes donating surplus food as easy as ordering takeout. Every pound rescued is roughly 1.2 meals for someone who needs them. The infrastructure exists. The apps work. The only missing piece is more people using them.

That's why platforms like Pantry exist — to make the connection between your extra food and your neighbor's empty plate as frictionless as possible.