New app targets food waste through Phoenix restaurant discounts

• This wastes resources and contributes to greenhouse gas emissions.

How it works: The Too Good To Go app allows local restaurants to list surplus food at about one-third of its retail price.

• Users reserve a "surprise bag" that will include whatever wasn't purchased that day and schedule a time to pick it up.

Be smart: This isn't expired food — just items that didn't sell. It adheres to all food safety regulations, Too Good To Go spokesperson Sarah Soteroff told us.

• More than 70 Valley restaurants — including Proof Bread, Tres Leches Café and BoSa Donuts — joined the program during its soft launch and more are coming online each day, she said.

What they're saying: "To be honest, we were always scared to make extra of everything. It's a lot of money wasted," Spce Coffee owner Andy Kemp told Axios.

• "This gives us the confidence to be able to make a little bit more. We're not throwing it away."

What we're watching: Dora Lira manages Helpings Café, which benefits UMOM New Day Centers' shelter programs. She told us the app has already introduced new customers to the business.

• "You're not just saving food and saving money yourself. You're also creating a huge impact on the families we serve," Lira said.