Solution

The Neat is a smartphone app that promotes collaboration, unity and sharing, while leading the way to an eco-friendlier society.

The app is based on posting leftover food and giving it away to others, and that with no costs. Maybe you managed to make a portion too much for dinner, or that there was extra food left after a celebration. You may not have the capacity to store the food, and your only solution is to throw out the food. But, with the app we offer you a solution to the problem. Instead of throwing the food away, you can post it on the app and give it away to someone who may need it more. At the same time as a user, you will be notified if there are leftover food or vegetables in your local area. You can thus drop by and pick it up, or if they want, stay and eat with them.

But, what if for various reasons you do not want to provide your address, or that it is time consuming for people to travel to your home. That is why we have chosen to open food trucks. The food trucks will be central and easily accessible. Here people can drop by with their leftover food and vegetables. The food will be quality assured and registered in the app by the worker. This allows people to log in to the app and see what type of food is available in the food truck. When the food is no longer available, it will be removed from the app.

In order to operate the food truck, we depend on sponsors, considering that our solution is based on no costs. Therefore, should the app become popular and people show a lot of interest, people and companies may be willing to sponsor the idea, given its good purpose.

How will it help society toward a greater direction?

The app will manly start up in Norway before it is expanded to other countries and places.
In Norway, more than 390,000 tons of edible food is thrown away every year. And the household sector alone accounts for more than half of this food waste; 58%. [source 4] By encouraging people to share the extra food they have left, instead of throwing it away, will lead to a big change and difference in numbers. Even if the action is small, the effect of it is great, both towards society and oneself.

Even studies show that giving and sharing, will boost ones physical and mental health. [source 5] The health benefits can include:

• - Lower blood pressure.
• - Increased self-esteem.
• - Less depression.
• - Lower stress levels.
• - Longer life.
• - Greater happiness and satisfaction.