Major zero-waste trends for 2022

Friday, 04 February, 2022 Food From Poland 38/2022
Too Good To Go takes a look at the trends for 2022. Among other things, the spotlight has been placed on nostalgia food, smart food shopping, or ultraurban farming. These are zero-waste areas as well as actions aimed at the initiation of social changes in the area of food waste avoidance and sustainable development. What do these terms mean? How will we manifest these trends in 2022?
Too Good To Go jointly with Trendradar have prepared an overview of trends that will be particularly close to us this year. The main axis is the subject matter of zero waste, food, and waste limitation. Some of them had already been developing in the previous years, yet new ones that few had known so far have emerged.

For a long time, we have conducted our operations in the spirit of sustainable development, which is embedded in the Too Good To Go philosophy. We wish to encourage the society to make conscious choices and to use pro-ecological solutions in order to follow together on the mission for food waste limitation. Now we have decided to take a closer look at zero-waste trends, to confront them with our operations, and to inspire ourselves and other people for the New Year!” says Anna Kurnatowska, the Country Manager of Too Good To Go.

Then, what will have the greatest impact in 2022 in the eyes of Monika Borycka of TrendRadar? This year, zero waste is the centre of interest on the map of eco-trends, and it is of small wonder, as this megatrend is gaining power year by year. It also intermingles with such „green” trends as climate diet, nostalgia food, smart food, eco-tech, or search for new, more sustainable and natural materials that can be innovatively used, e.g. as substitutes for non-ecologic products. In the area of our consumer attitudes, 2022 means a return to tradition, planning and saving. This is why well-thought choices, reuse of existing products, or use of technologies in the service of ecology will be so important.
Circular is the „New Normal” for Gen Z



Reuse, recycling, and resale – these are the keywords for a circular economy, extremely close to the youngest generation. Generation Z wants to see the economy as a closed circuit in which used-up materials and resources are reintroduced into another life cycle. This is why they like solutions and business models based on rental and reuse so much. This is an area in which Too Good To Go has considerable merits – it has been encouraging people for a long time to use their own bags or boxes when picking up the meals. Generation Z is also a large part of app users who are eager to engage in saving meals, intercepting “surprise packages”.

“Climate” diet, zero-waste and reuse packages, and magic mushrooms

We are increasingly aware of the cost borne by the planet in the process of food production. This is not just the carbon footprint from transportation, but from consumption of water, energy, or soil as well. Some products have lower footprint, others have a higher one. However, keeping the effect of food on the environment in mind, we will want to make conscious choices. This is why normalization of plant food is a natural consequence of this and the search of balance in diet. Many of us wish to reduce the consumption of meat or dairy products, choosing flexitarian or reductarian diets. It turns out that some mushrooms, such as the Japanese koji, are able to perfectly enhance the taste of dishes. Umami aromas can be extremely helpful in the production of plant-based meat. The “magic” of mushrooms also rests in their biodiversity. They will work just as perfectly in support of plastic decomposition, which is particularly important in the case of single-use packages. This year, we will definitely focus on reusable packaging, which has also been forced by the ubiquitous pandemic. A significant increase in sales of takeaway meals has been observed, which is a substantial challenge for packaging manufacturers. Eco-aware customers want their food to be packed in accordance with their convictions. Therefore, the application of recyclable solutions, biodegradable and edible materials will be trendy.

Apps in the service of ecology correspond perfectly with the Smart Food Shopping trend, due to the growing interest in the Eco Tech trend. Customization, analysis of our diet, meal plans, a ready shopping list. These solutions are easy and pleasant to us. We will focus on limitation of food waste through conscious choices. Digital and smart solutions in the area of responsible approach to food will be vital, as evidenced, among other things, by the success of the Too Good To Go app. For more than two years of operation, over 2 million meals have been saved through technology and the involvement of nearly 1.5 million users. Another food-related trend is Nostalgia Food, or return to the tastes of childhood that we associate with blissful tranquility. We will try to see sentimental connotation in foods. Simple, austere forms without unnecessary ornaments or household gardens are to help us return to our roots. Combination of growing your own food with a need of presence of plants in our life is another noticeable trend – the gardening therapy. Working with plants and looking after them excellently affect our wellbeing and mental health.

This year, we can notice the increased significance of urban farming and gardening in a new form. We are speaking about ultraurban farming, focusing on the development of internal farms and planting crops in urban greenhouses or farms for the needs of a specific institution, shopping mall, supermarket, or community. Vertical farms, household hydroponic (water-based) crops, mushrooms grown above shop alleys, and robot-run farms are solutions frequently used in big cities. Regenerative agriculture is a trend noticeable in industrial food production. It involves departure from the standard form of farming and focuses on a method that generates no damage to the natural environment. The centre of interest in regenerative farming is the use of natural fertilizers, zero-emission, focus on the organic matter of soil, water purity, biodiversity, and contribution to the negative carbon footprint. It is worth keeping in mind that the EU has set the target of CO2 emissions limitation to 2030, and Too Good To Go allows us to get closer to this objective every day by saving carbon dioxide emissions with every meal saved through the app. An exciting year is ahead!

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