Nestle installs Food Loss Reduction Boxes at 5 locations nationwide

Did you know that food products within safe “consumed by” dates are being discarded? Food products have delivery dates—deadlines that indicate when they should be shipped to stores. When the products miss these delivery dates, the food may end up getting discarded since suppliers have a limited number of distributors who can still sell the food. What a waste!

Nestle Japan was quick to notice this food loss. From mid-June, they installed “Food Loss Reduction Boxes Fuubo.” These pick-up vending machines sell KitKats, coffee and tea goods that missed their delivery date, but are still perfectly consumable.

The initiative was put forward in collaboration with food loss solution company Minatoku Corporation. Together, they deployed five unmanned stations in 3 prefectures: Kiralys Hakodate (Hakodate City, Hokkaido Prefecture), JR Gate Tower (JR Nagoya Station in Nagoya City, Aichi Prefecture), Chugoku Electric Power Company Headquarters (Hiroshima City, Hiroshima Prefecture), Shinjuku Post Office (Shinjuku Ward, Tokyo) and Nescafe Harajuku (Shibuya Ward, Tokyo).

People who want to purchase products at these vending machines don’t insert coins. Instead, they access the Minatoku website and put in their location and what they want to buy. They then receive a one-time security code, which they input after scanning a QR code on the station, which will allow them to receive the item.

Other than their popular KitKat series, Fuubo vending machines sell Nescafe Excella bottled coffee and instant coffee sticks, and instant Nescafe Uji matcha latte, hojicha latte and milk tea. On the surface, it may be the usual Nescafe products you can get hold of anywhere, but purchasing the products at these special “Food Loss Reduction Boxes” and thereby taking part in reducing food loss at the same time makes a difference!