Alimentation Couche-Tard, parent company of Circle K, has expanded its partnership with Too Good To Go, a global social impact company driving the world’s largest marketplace for surplus food, making a significant stride in the companies’ fight against food waste.
The two companies aim to have more than 9,000 Circle K and Couche-Tard stores across the United States, Canada, Ireland and Poland available on the Too Good To Go app by the end of the year, marking Too Good To Go’s most extensive rollout to date.
"As we expand and refine our food offering globally, minimizing food waste is a priority for us—and the right thing to do both economically and environmentally," said Ina Strand, chief people officer and leader of sustainability efforts for Couche-Tard. "This partnership with Too Good To Go is a great complement to our continuous improvement efforts in our foodservice operations. Not only does it bolster our global sustainability commitments, but it's also an innovative way for our customers to try our delicious food at a great price."
Circle K and Couche-Tard staff will inspect their food inventory daily for items nearing expiration and pack them into Too Good To Go Surprise Bags. Too Good To Go app users near local Circle K and Couche-Tard stores will be able to purchase the bags for half of the original food price or less, directly from their phones.
Too Good To Go's partnership with Couche-Tard started in 2018 in Norway, then expanded to Denmark, Sweden and select markets in the United States, Canada and Poland. Since then, Circle K and Couche-Tard customers have purchased 1.3 million Surprise Bags—the equivalent of avoiding 3,510,000 kgs of CO2e and the unnecessary use of more than 1 billion liters of water.
"Our collaboration with Couche-Tard has already made significant strides in the fight against food waste. This expanded partnership elevates our ability to impact to unprecedented levels, reinforcing the crucial role of businesses in addressing global challenges," said Mette Lykke, CEO of Too Good To Go.