If it were a country, food waste would be the third largest emitter in CO2 equivalent after China and the United States.

Collectively, we know the problem.

But individually, we do not feel very guilty. 

In reality, every American sheds 100 kg per year.

In France, it is 3 times less (29 kg), but it is still in weight the equivalent of 190 Titanics of food each year.

Proof that there is still a lot of work to be done, at all levels. 

So how do we go back and rethink the waste on our plates?

Too good to be thrown away

Too Good To Go is a successful smartphone app.

It connects traders, their arms loaded with unsold goods, with users, customers for these products at low prices.

Present today in 14 countries in Europe, it has enabled, according to Sarah Chouraqui, its general manager, to save more than 45 million baskets.

"Historically," she explains, "we have worked a lot with bakers because that was one of the first observations: to see that in the evening, bakers had to throw away a lot because they sell products that are consumed daily. day. There are also a lot of fruits and vegetables and therefore a lot of early vegetables on the app.

The consumer comes to get a surprise paper, which he pays 3.99 euros instead of 12 euros, or about a third of the price.

The other side of the coin?

the consumer does not choose its content, even if today the application has a vegetarian and vegan option.

Too Good To Go takes 1 euro commission on each basket.

"Food waste is an aberration", for Sarah Chouraqui, who also goes to look for her surprise baskets in the evening when she comes home from work.

“There is a third of the food produced in the world today that is thrown away. You really think people want to do something but sometimes feel helpless. They don't know exactly what to do, so we really wanted them. help to act ".

Transforming fish skins into leather

At Christian Têtedoie, starred chef at the Têtedoie restaurant in Lyon, food waste is not on the menu.

For 5 years, crowned with the "Green Food" label, he has been working there with his team at all levels.

"Before, we actually had a tendency to waste, since we cut very beautiful pieces and we used very little the rest," humbly explains this best worker in France.

"Today, the fact that we have three places here (a gourmet restaurant, a bistro and a rooftop, editor's note), it actually makes it possible to put the most beautiful pieces here in the gourmet restaurant and to be able to use the other low pieces on the two different sites of the restaurant. "

The chef has just forged a partnership for fish skins, now collected by the Ictyos company, which transforms them into leather.

“Everyone wonders if leather smells like skin,” laughs Benjamin Malatrait, the co-founder of the Lyon start-up, “but no, that's where we bring all our work. really transformed the skin so that it had a scent of its own but not a fishy smell. "

To the touch, the material is soft, solid, difficult to tear.

According to Benjamin Malatrait, in France, 50,000 tonnes of fish skins are thrown in the trash every year, and 500,000 tonnes in Europe.

"It is a real waste knowing that this resource will have an impact by degrading, by generating CO2", he explains.

For him, fish leather has a real place, between the cow leather we know and exotic leathers, which luxury brands are now turning their backs on.

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