Zomato’s ‘Food Rescue’ Feature: Turning Cancelled Orders into a Sustainability Win

In a thoughtful step to curb food wastage, Zomato has launched an innovative feature called Food Rescue. This new addition allows users to purchase cancelled food orders from nearby areas at a reduced price, tackling the significant amount of food that gets wasted each month.

The Issue of Food Wastage

Food waste is a big problem globally, and Zomato’s platform is no exception. Every month, around 400,000 food orders are cancelled on Zomato. This leads to financial losses for restaurants and customers, and it also means a lot of perfectly good food goes to waste. Seeing this, Zomato decided to take action with Food Rescue, aiming to redirect cancelled food orders rather than letting them go to waste.

How Does ‘Food Rescue’ Work?

Zomato has made the Food Rescue feature user-friendly and practical. When a food order is cancelled, nearby users within a 3 km radius can see the listing and buy the food at a discounted rate. This setup not only prevents waste but also offers customers a chance to enjoy a tasty meal for less, all while supporting restaurants.

A Fair Financial Setup

One of the things that make Food Rescue special is its unique financial model. Here’s how it works: if the original customer paid for their order online, the amount the new customer pays will be shared between the original customer and the restaurant. Zomato only takes out the necessary government taxes, ensuring both the initial customer and restaurant partner benefit from the resale.

Mindful Exclusions

Not every cancelled order is eligible for Food Rescue. To make sure food quality and safety are upheld, certain items won’t be available through this feature. For example, items that are particularly sensitive to temperature and travel distance, like ice creams, shakes, and smoothies, won’t be offered as ‘rescued’ food.

A Meaningful Move Toward Sustainability

Zomato’s Food Rescue is a timely initiative, aligning with the global push for sustainability. By creating a simple system to redistribute cancelled orders, Zomato is cutting down on waste, supporting restaurant partners, and delivering value to customers. It’s a win-win that also sets a great example for other food tech companies to consider.

As Food Rescue rolls out, it will be fascinating to see the impact it has on reducing food waste—and how it might inspire similar efforts across the industry.