When it comes to reducing food waste, the 11th Hour is never too late
Meet the Nestlé initiative that’s on a mission to bring you amazing deals & help the planet at the same time
What if you could get the best deals straight to your phone and fight food waste while you’re at it? Sounds like a no-brainer, right? This is the mission behind 11th Hour; a new pilot program working to reduce food waste while offering consumers great deals on products like Nestlé Toll House, Chameleon Cold Brew, Perrier and more. They joined the BID on the Plaza earlier this year for our National Chocolate Day giveaway, where we caught up with 11th Hour founders Justin, Michael and Pamela to learn more about this initiative with the potential to have a real, positive impact on our planet.
THE PROBLEM
Did you know a third of food worldwide is never consumed? This was the shocking statistic that served as inspiration behind 11th Hour, which aims to reimagine reducing food waste. Founders saw an opportunity to make a tangible impact by selling products direct to consumers, at a discounted rate simply due to a product’s shorter shelf life, discontinuation, or a number of other reasons.
This program launched as a result of an internal Nestlé innovation challenge to support the company’s Net Zero Roadmap. Now the pilot program, founded and based in our own backyard out of Nestlé’s Rosslyn HQ, is set to run through the end of 2021.
THE SOLUTION
So how does it work? Using an easy text alert system, 11th Hour puts surplus products directly in the hands of consumers. All users have to do is sign up using a name and phone number to receive text messages with offers for discounted products (roughly two texts per week). When you see something you like, just respond to the text with the quantity you’d like to purchase and it’ll arrive at your door. This means direct access to top brands at discounts of up to 50% off, all at your fingertips. Not to mention, it’s free to join. Really, it’s that easy!
THE 11TH HOUR DIFFERENCE
Justin, Michael and Pamela are three entrepreneurs within Nestlé that saw a challenge and wanted to be part of the solution.
“When we learned that a third of food around the world is wasted, we put our heads together to come up with something that we believed would make a difference for our planet,” Pamela told the BID. “11th Hour was born out of the realization that there are tangible steps we can take together to contribute toward a world without food waste.”
11th Hour is a simple and free way to find great deals while fighting global food waste—that’s a win-win in our book. Head to their website to learn more about the initiative that’s tackling world problems, right here in our neighborhood.
