A fridge camera and app-based inventory system bring forgotten fridge items to light, helping households use food before it expires.
Despite growing awareness of food waste, Canadians are discarding food at alarming rates. The National Zero Waste Council reports that the average household throws away 88 kilograms of food annually, costing families over $1,300 and contributing significantly to environmental harm.
This waste accounts for 500 litres of water weekly, the equivalent of 142 unnecessary showers. In terms of carbon emissions, eliminating the food waste of even ten households would be the same as removing one car from the road. Clearly, more action is needed to curb this pervasive issue.
Most of us don’t buy food intending to waste it, yet forgotten ingredients often spoil in the fridge. Waguta, a Vancouver-based startup, offers a simple yet transformative solution: a smart fridge system combining an app-based inventory with a fridge camera. The camera tracks what’s added or removed, automatically updating the app. The app alerts users when food nears its expiry date and suggests recipes to use it up, making meal planning easier and reducing waste.
The result: During a pilot study, Waguta provided ten families with groceries, use-by-date alerts, and recipe suggestions via an app. Participants reported enjoying more varied meals, less stress in meal planning, and a noticeable reduction in food waste. Waguta is now beta-testing its app and plans to roll out its full product, including the fridge camera, in January 2025.
Would you like to join Waguta’s early testing group or receive updates about the launch? Visit waguta.com to sign up.
Are you aware of any other nudges that prevent food waste? Feel free to comment or get in touch: hello@green-nudges.com
From Charlotte Gilmour, Managing Director of Environmental Impact at Yulu Impact Communications. With 18 years of expertise in communications, Charlotte is passionate about amplifying climate solutions and fostering collective action across sectors to combat the climate emergency. She introduces an inspiring initiative from Vancouver-based startup Waguta, designed to tackle food waste with innovative technology.
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