Christchurch residents have gained access to a global food rescue marketplace as Too Good To Go launches its free app in the city today, aiming to tackle billions of dollars worth of food waste while offering discounted meals.

The Denmark founded social impact company confirmed the Christchurch rollout formed part of its New Zealand expansion after launching in Auckland in October 2025.

Since then, more than 30,000 meals had been saved nationally, preventing an estimated 81,000 kilograms of carbon emissions, saving over 24 million litres of water and preserving around 84,000 square metres of land use.

The platform targets the estimated $3 billion in food waste generated annually in New Zealand households, allowing users to buy discounted Surprise Bags filled with surplus food from bakeries, cafes, restaurants and grocery stores.

With over 230 partners currently using the app in Auckland, favourites like Ilex Cafe, Fluffy Bake Shop, Coffee Embassy and Underground Coffee Roasters join the 40+ partners already signed on for the Christchurch launch.

Country Director Joost Rietveld said Christchurch was the next logical step following strong uptake in Auckland.

“Expanding into Christchurch was a clear next step in our mission to help Kiwis reduce the $3 billion worth of food waste.

“Following the incredible momentum in Auckland, we know there’s a significant local appetite to address and reduce the environmental issue of food waste,” Rietveld said.

“We’re bringing learnings and expertise from 21 countries, with the scale to make a real difference. Our dedicated local team will support Christchurch’s vibrant hospitality sector, working closely with Kiwi businesses to offer a long term partnership.

“We’re excited for the people of Christchurch to join our global community, and start saving their favourite foods from going to waste, one Surprise Bag at a time,” he said.

Through the app, users can search for nearby stores with surplus food, reserve a Surprise Bag and pre pay through the platform before collecting their order within a set pick up window.

Too Good To Go said its model created benefits for businesses, consumers and the environment by turning unsold food into revenue, offering cheaper meals during ongoing financial pressure and reducing food waste, which accounts for about 10 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions.

As part of its New Zealand commitment, the company partnered with Love Food Hate Waste and Kai Commitments to support national food waste reduction efforts and keep edible food out of landfill.

The Christchurch launch formed part of Too Good To Go’s wider global growth, with the company operating in 20 countries and connecting more than 120 million registered users with 180,000 partner businesses.

Since launching in 2016, Too Good To Go said it had helped save more than 500 million meals from waste, equivalent to about 1.3 million tonnes of carbon emissions avoided.