Whole Surplus

Solution Pitch

The Problem

One-third of the food produced for human consumption in the world goes to waste because of quality standards, overproduction, and a lack of information around use-by and best before dates. The carbon footprint of food waste alone is estimated at 3.3 Gigatons of CO2 equivalent, which makes it the third top emitter in the world after the US and China.

The Solution

Whole Surplus fills the food surplus management gap. With its digital product called Surplus Management System (SMS), Whole Surplus offers holistic solutions to food surpluses in line with the Food Recovery Hierarchy and matches companies with partners offering the highest financial, environmental, and social value. With SMS, food businesses can manage all of their unsold, surplus inventories from one digital platform. 

The platform offers a 3-pillar upcycling process to clients: a sales marketplace where companies can sell their surplus to other parties at discounted prices; a donation module to create the biggest social value out of surplus and provide companies with tax advantages; and a recycling module to manage waste in an environmentally responsible way with guaranteed low cost and full traceability. 

In 4 years, this digital platform has saved more than 14,000 tonnes of food, providing food donations to 1,100,000 people and redistributing 30 million meals to those in need. Whole Surplus has also prevented 53,000 tonnes of carbon emissions across 36 Turkish cities.

Stats

Whole Surplus has saved more than 14,000 tons of food and prevented 53,000 ton of CO2 emissions. 

Market Opportunity

The global food waste management market is worth $52 billion, and in Turkey alone this market is valued at $1.4 billion. Every year, approximately $40 billion worth of food is wasted across Turkey, while the Turkish government distributes $8 billion in cash aid to those in need. Further, 98 percent of collected waste in Turkey is landfilled, and companies spend billions of dollars for disposal, logistic, and warehouse operation. Whole Surplus is the only company strategically tackling food waste in Turkey. 

Organization Highlights

• Won 3rd place at clim@ 2020 

• Only Turkish and food-driven initiative selected at the 2017 UNDP Accelerate 2030 Accelerator 

• One of 10 global initiatives selected at the 2017 Techstars Metro Accelerator

• Winner of the Special Category at the European Investment Bank Social Innovation Tournament in 2019

Partnership Goals

Whole Surplus currently seeks: 

• Introductions to global companies looking to more efficiently manage their surplus food

• Legal advisors on the different laws and regulations around food waste in different cities and countries. 

• Speaking opportunities to increase the visibility of this solution

• Branding marketing advice