A Beijing girl named Zhou gave herself the perfect birthday present in February. An employee of a Beijing-based internet company got a cake for 200 yuan ($27.59) at half the normal price. The 30-year-old said the cake happened to be her favorite matcha flavor, sweet but not too greasy, and it was the most extraordinary discovery in her year-and-a-half experiment with “Leftovers.” He said he felt it was. You can purchase blind boxes or random boxes of unsold food and drinks at a discount.
Zhou is one of the increasing users of WeChat's leftover blind box mini program “Cherish (西し in Chinese) Magic Bag,” which caters to consumer needs while advocating a low-carbon, low-waste lifestyle. One of middle-aged people and young people.
The program, introduced three years ago in Changsha, Hunan province, is helping to ensure that surplus food does not go to waste in first-tier and emerging first-tier cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, Nanjing, Shenzhen, Guangzhou and Hangzhou.
After paying online through the program, consumers can pick up a randomly packed box of leftover food during a designated time slot, typically just before closing between 8pm and 10pm.
“Usually, the original price is two to three times the program price,” said Zhou, adding that 194 such orders resulted in 5,700 yuan worth of food being wasted, which is equivalent to 520 kilograms of carbon dioxide emissions. He added that he tried to avoid this.
Zhou learned about the program sometime in late 2022 through someone's post on the Chinese social media platform Xiaohongshu.
“I appreciate the environmental concept of this initiative. Also, I am curious and open to trying different cuisines and new approaches,” she says, adding that she is curious about any new additions to the program. He added that he is checking and experimenting regularly.
Mr. Zhou said that despite the discounted price, the quality of service is still good, encouraging people to take advantage of this program and purchase more.
She said she received a call from a representative from the matcha cake shop in the afternoon, reminding her to pick up her order. Another time, when she went to buy food at a baozi shop, the packer heard her whisper that she liked pie and was kind enough to add one to her box. Ta.
“I've recommended this program to my colleagues, and while they're not as enthusiastic as I am, everyone has liked it,” she says, adding that as the program's popularity grows, people may be forced to do so. Ta. Set an alarm to remind you when you have an order to pick up.
The program extends beyond freshly made products such as breads, cakes, and steamed buns to industries that require serious cooking, such as hotpots and buffets, as well as non-catering industries, such as flowers.
Yi Ming, 40, from Changsha, said she is always looking for good buffet and hotpot deals on the show because she loves meat.
Yi said he once won a pot of snail noodles for a considerable price. He visited the restaurant around 3pm during off-peak hours and enjoyed the “very tasty” noodles, meat and fried eggs. “I think this initiative will also work as a brand promotion tool,” he said, adding that although the hot pot restaurant hasn't offered discounted prices for a while, he is toying with the idea of going there to enjoy a filling meal. he added. price.
Yi said his wife also likes the program, especially the bakery products it offers. “She's always looking forward to seeing what joys and surprises her extra blind boxes will bring.” Naturally, the family is always involved in activities that benefit the environment, sometimes cleaning up mountains. They may also participate in activities.
Luo Xueming, chief expert of Guangdong Modern Urban Industrial Technology Research Institute, said, “This initiative is in line with the development trend of Internet plus, is consistent with the sustainable development concept, and actively engages with the public. By getting involved, we offer a simple approach to tackling food waste.” .
However, Luo also pointed out food quality and safety issues regarding fresh produce, and to expand the user base and ensure the long-term viability of this initiative, increasing consumer awareness of food resources is essential. emphasized the need.
“Once it moves into a large-scale and mature implementation stage, this initiative will become very important to China's food security strategy,” he said.
limenghan@chinadaily.com.cn