There are certain cuts of chicken that people prefer more than others and, as a result, the breast meat is often unsold and goes to waste. Three graduates from the Singapore Management University and Nanyang Technological University saw a business opportunity in such unsold produce.
In 2017, the trio founded TreeDots – a social enterprise that aims to channel unsold produce and meats from wholesalers and slaughterhouses to other food and beverage businesses.
Since then, the company has saved more than 1,000 tonnes of less popular cuts of chicken, frozen seafood, and vegetables from being dumped, said co-founder Nicholas Lim, 27.
Earlier in January, TreeDots teamed up with environmental group Tingkats in a pilot project that offered individual consumers the chance to buy such unsold food items as well.
Because TreeDots sells items mainly in bulk, Tingkats organised a “group buy” allowing people to place orders for items such as chicken parts and frozen cod online, make their payment, and then pick up the items later.
Tingkats founder Pamela Low, 24, said: “The response was heartening. People were curious to know why food loss occurs and how they could reduce it. That’s one step towards empowering individuals and households with the opportunity to reduce food loss immediately and in future food cycles to come.”
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Source: The Straits Times, 18 January 2020