Reducing bread waste with online bakery shop Rebake

Online bakery market Rebake, which tackles food waste, announced that between its launch in December 2018 and July 2019, a total of 7.5 tons of bread was saved from being wasted. Bakeries try to ensure the proper management of baked items by closely monitoring sales and baking schedules. However, they often have to discard their edible bread that would otherwise be bought by customers due to weather conditions and other external factors.

The operator of this business, Quagga Inc conducted a survey among bakeries before the launch of their service. As a result, they found out that more than 90% of survey respondents were willing to reduce their bread waste. As of September 2019, more than 100 bakeries are relying on Rebake. According to their reviews, they are pleased that they can now follow their baking schedules without worrying about wasting any food. At the same time, they can provide sufficient products to incoming customers.

Rebake boasts a wide selection of baking items sourced from bakeries all over Japan, and users can place orders from a wide variety of different kinds of bread products including vegan, vegetarian, allergy-free varieties and more. Packages are delivered to the users’ door, so they can conveniently try various bread from different parts of Japan.

Quagga hopes that this bread rescue project can help them contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set by the United Nations, especially for responsible consumption and production. Moreover, they plan to expand their field of contribution to climate action, marine and forest conservation. Quagga recently publicized that they donated a fraction of profits from Rebake to the Shiretoko Nature Foundation, a non-profit organization that works towards the protection and preservation of the Shiretoko Peninsula in Hokkaido.

While food waste is a more prevalent issue than we think, innovative services like Rebake are emerging and seeking sustainable solutions. Raising awareness of sensible food consumption is just as important as government policies and technological advancement. By harnessing the collective effort of individual consumers, food waste reduction can bring a positive impact at a global level.