The Uber of Food Waste Is Now Operating in Denver

We live in a world where, sadly, good food regularly goes to waste while people go hungry. Copia, a San Francisco, California–based for-profit venture aiming to solve the food waste problem with tech, sums it up thusly: “Hunger isn’t a scarcity problem. It’s a logistics problem.”

To tackle the problem, Copia developed an Uber-esque app that pairs excess food donations with nonprofit recipients, and it commenced operations in Denver earlier this year. On April 17, it signed its first big donor: Children’s Hospital Colorado. Copia has partnered with Denver Food Rescue (DFR) to pick up and distribute the hospital’s donated food to its existing network of nonprofit organizations, including Aurora Day Resource Center and Sun Valley Kitchen (across the street from the Sun Valley Youth Center), which in turn supply food insecure locals with much-needed meals. “We provide tech and business development, while Denver Food Rescue provides operational support and collects physical donations,” says Colin Tomkins-Bergh, Copia’s director of sales.

It’s a win for all: Children’s Hospital’s surplus is diverted from the landfill, DFR secures a steady donor, and more hungry people get fed.

Bonus: Expect to hear more about efforts to curb food waste here in Denver. The Denver Department of Public Health & Environment just announced its Food Action Plan, the centerpiece of which is a collaboration with the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) to minimize food waste in local residences and businesses.