UAE's Peekabox Tackles Food Waste with Surplus Sales

Dubai-based surplus food marketplace Peekabox has secured $1.5 million in an oversubscribed seed round, as it looks to scale operations

IKEA UK has introduced ‘Great British Bin Juice’ – a limited-edition apple juice made from surplus British fruit, which is more delicious than it sounds, to celebrate the value of food that might otherwise go unused. With an estimated 10.2 million tonnes of food and drink going unused across the UK each year, the initiative spotlights a much bigger opportunity to unlock more value from everyday ingredients. With the average four-person household losing around £1,000 worth of food annually, there’s a clear opportunity to make more of the food we have at home. ‘Great British Bin Juice’ builds on IKEA’s long-standing commitment to reducing food waste across its business. Globally, IKEA has cut food waste in its kitchens by 60% since 2017, helping to prevent the equivalent of 47.5 million meals from going to waste – reaching the UN’s 2030 target to halve food waste ahead of schedule.  https://lnkd.in/e8Xz9hXm #foodwaste #waste #foodanddrink #workshops #retail

IKEA UK has introduced ‘Great British Bin Juice’ – a limited-edition apple juice made from surplus British fruit, which is more delicious than it sounds, to celebrate the value of food that might otherwise go unused. With an estimated 10.2 million tonnes of food and drink going unused across the UK each year, the initiative spotlights a much bigger opportunity to unlock more value from everyday ingredients. With the average four-person household losing around £1,000 worth of food annually, there’s a clear opportunity to make more of the food we have at home. ‘Great British Bin Juice’ builds on IKEA’s long-standing commitment to reducing food waste across its business. Globally, IKEA has cut food waste in its kitchens by 60% since 2017, helping to prevent the equivalent of 47.5 million meals from going to waste – reaching the UN’s 2030 target to halve food waste ahead of schedule.  https://lnkd.in/e8Xz9hXm #foodwaste #waste #foodanddrink #workshops #retail

"In Canada, nearly 60% of food produced is lost or wasted every year. A significant portion is thrown out at home — often because of a misread date label." Every year, millions of kilograms of perfectly edible food are discarded because consumers misunderstand date labels. Many shoppers interpret a "Best Before" date as a safety deadline — when in reality it's an indicator of peak quality, freshness, or taste. The result? Unnecessary food waste, lost household spending, and a measurable environmental impact. An Easy Solution… DPI transforms a static package into a dynamic source of information — helping consumers make smarter decisions rather than relying on assumptions. Through a simple, TapScan GS1-compliant 2D barcode, the DPI platform gives consumers clear, product-specific guidance that goes beyond what any physical label can offer. Instead of seeing only a date, shoppers can instantly access: What the date actually means for that specific product *Proper storage guidance to maximize freshness *Quality vs. spoilage indicators so they can trust their senses *Practical tips for extending product life. This added context helps consumers confidently distinguish between food that's still safe to eat and food that genuinely needs to go — reducing avoidable waste while building trust at the point of consumption. For food manufacturers and retailers, DPI creates a real opportunity to cut costs tied to waste, reduce returns, and deepen consumer trust. By connecting products to real-time educational content, brands can actively participate in the food waste conversation — while gaining valuable insights into consumer engagement and behavior. The result is a smarter food system where better information leads to better decisions — benefiting consumers, retailers, manufacturers, and the environment alike. To Learn more: TapScan connects physical and digital moments, unifying touchpoints that verify accountability, measure engagement, and deliver context-aware experiences powered by actionable data. https://tapscan.info

HEALTHIER AIR. STRONGER SUPPLY CHAINS. SMARTER FOOD RETAIL. As supermarket groups continue to focus on food safety, reducing waste, improving sustainability performance and enhancing customer experiences, indoor air quality is becoming an increasingly important part of the supply chain. SanitexAir Non Thermal Cold Plasma technology can be integrated across the entire food retail ecosystem from food processing plants and refrigerated warehouses to distribution centres, logistics operations and supermarket stores delivering continuous air treatment while facilities remain fully operational. From Farm to Fork, SanitexAir can support: Food Processing Facilities Refrigerated Warehouses Distribution & Logistics Centres Supermarkets & Fresh Produce Areas E-commerce Fulfilment Centres Waste Handling & Recycling Facilities Fresh Produce Benefits Non Thermal Cold Plasma technology may help supermarket operators and distribution centres improve produce quality, enhance freshness and reduce food waste. Studies have shown that cold plasma treatment can contribute to maintaining freshness and, for selected fruits and vegetables, support shelf-life extension of up to 14 days when combined with appropriate cold chain management. Potential benefits include: ✅ Reduced microbial contamination ✅ Improved produce appearance ✅ Lower food waste ✅ Increased inventory flexibility ✅ Enhanced sustainability performance Additional Supply Chain Benefits ✅ Cleaner HVAC systems ✅ Reduced food and waste odours ✅ Improved employee wellbeing ✅ Enhanced indoor environmental quality ✅ Lower maintenance requirements ✅ Support for HACCP, BRCGS and food safety initiatives ✅ Contribution towards ESG, Net Zero and food waste reduction targets Food retailers are increasingly recognising that cleaner air is no longer simply a facilities management consideration it is becoming an integral part of food quality, operational resilience, sustainability performance and customer experience. At SanitexAir, we believe healthier air can help create a stronger, more sustainable supply chain, supporting everyone from producers and distributors to retailers and consumers. From Farm to Fork. Cleaner Air. Safer Food. Better Future. For more information visit: www.sanitexair.com Shelf-life improvements are dependent upon produce type, storage conditions, packaging systems and treatment parameters. Validation trials are recommended for specific applications. #SanitexAir #FoodRetail #Supermarkets #SupplyChain #ColdPlasma #IndoorAirQuality #FoodSafety #ESG #NetZero #FreshProduce #ColdStorage #DistributionCentres #Sustainability #HealthyBuildings #FoodWasteReduction #HVAC #InnovationInRetail #FarmToFork

Grateful to Decision Sciences Journal and the editorial team for highlighting our new paper, “From Store to Surplus Food Platform: Implications of Competition in Quantity-Based Sales,” co-authored with Wei Wei. In this paper, we study how retailers make pricing and reservation decisions on quantity-based surplus food platforms under demand uncertainty and competition. One key insight is that competition can improve consumer surplus, retailer profitability, and food-waste reduction under the right conditions, but may also create unintended operational and sustainability consequences when it becomes too intense. Thanks again to DSJ for featuring our work!

Very excited to see our recently accepted paper, “From Store to Surplus Food Platform: Implications of Competition in Quantity-Based Sales,” featured by Decision Sciences Journal DSJ. Motivated by surplus food platforms such as Too Good To Go and XBag, Zhangchen Hu and I study how retailers make pricing and food-reservation decisions under demand uncertainty and competition. Editor-in-Chief Liangfei Qiu provides a clear summary of the paper and its main findings in the post below. We hope our findings offer useful insights for retailers, platforms, and others interested in reducing food waste. Many thanks to Liangfei Qiu and Decision Sciences Journal DSJ for highlighting our work, and to the editorial team and reviewers for their thoughtful feedback throughout the review process! Link to the study: https://lnkd.in/gHuTr_7v

📢 New Paper Alert in Decision Sciences Journal DSJ From Store to Surplus Food Platform: Implications of Competition in Quantity-Based Sales Wei Wei and Zhangchen Hu Food waste is one of the world's most pressing sustainability challenges. Quantity-based surplus food platforms are emerging as an innovative solution, enabling retailers to sell end-of-day surplus food through discounted "surplus bags." But how should retailers decide how much food to reserve, how to price these bags, and how competition changes these decisions remains an open question. In this new paper, Wei Wei and Zhangchen Hu develop an analytical model to examine retailers' decisions under demand uncertainty and competition. Their findings reveal several surprising insights: 🔹 Competition can increase surplus bag prices, encourage retailers to reserve more food for surplus sales, and leave less food available for regular in-store customers. 🔹 Under the right conditions, competition can create a win-win-win outcome by increasing consumer surplus, improving retailer profitability, and reducing food waste. 🔹 However, when competition becomes too intense, it can hurt retailer profits and increase food waste, highlighting unintended consequences of expanding platform participation. 🔹 The study also shows how surplus food platforms can strategically use discount rates to improve both economic and environmental outcomes across different market conditions. This research offers valuable insights for retailers, digital platform managers, and policymakers seeking to build more sustainable and efficient food distribution systems.

The Disposable Food Packaging Market plays a critical role in supporting food delivery, quick-service restaurants, and ready-to-eat meal consumption worldwide. @Novolex leads the market with 5% share. ‪@Dart Container‬ holds 3%. @Smurfit Kappa accounts for 3%. @Graphic Packaging International Packaging captures 2%. @Amcor holds 2%. Together, the top five players account for only 15% of the global market, highlighting a highly fragmented competitive landscape. With the remaining share spread across hundreds of manufacturers, future leadership will be shaped by sustainability, packaging innovation, material efficiency, and evolving food delivery trends. Markets move fast. Your decisions need to move faster. Want deeper, analyst-authored insight and continuous tracking? The 360iResearch™ platform combines expert research with AI-powered discovery to help you track competitors, explore market shifts, and make confident business decisions. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/gAx_he2N #360iResearchInsights #360iResearch #MarketResearch #MarketIntelligence #FoodServicePackaging #FoodPackaging #SustainablePackaging #PackagingInnovation Watch the full video here: https://lnkd.in/g4XZf-sq

#Consumers today are making purchasing decisions based on more than taste and convenience. A growing segment of health-conscious buyers is seeking products that align with both personal #wellness goals and environmental values. This shift is driving the rise of eco-friendly #snack subscription services that combine #nutritious ingredients, #sustainable sourcing, and environmentally responsible packaging. As consumer expectations evolve, brands that successfully integrate health, convenience, and sustainability may be best positioned to shape the #future of #food consumption. Read the full article on our website: https://lnkd.in/gRQ7E5hU #Sustainability #HealthyEating #FoodInnovation #ConsumerTrends #SubscriptionEconomy #EcoFriendlyBusiness #FutureOfFood #GreenBusiness #Innovation #NextGenInnovators