There’s nothing cool about food waste. As well as the damage it does to environmental resources, it also really hits where it hurts. Your budget! According to a recent Food Waste Report with Rabobank, the average Australian family throws away 1 in 5 shopping bags of food. Costing between $2,700-3,000 every year. Staggeringly and very surprising 70% of food thrown away is still perfectly edible! Fortunately, one Australian woman’s innovative vision is aiming to make binning your mouldy bananas and tossing out your uneaten Thai takeaway a thing of the past. Her name is Kim McDonnell. And, she is the brain behind Saveful – a free food waste app that’s all about educating, empowering and enabling people to save more food by using more of what they already have.
This Kim is Kommited to Reducing Food Waste
Unlike other Kim’s who have a reputation for the luxe life, Kim McDonnell’s journey is worlds away from the bright lights of Hollywood. Starting instead in the outback mining town of Mount Isa. Before moving to the boardrooms of Melbourne, Sydney and New York. With over 25 years in advertising and digital marketing, including running her own award-winning agency, Kim decided to shift her focus towards creating positive change. Her dedication led her to found Saveful in November 2023.
During Australia’s severe droughts, bushfires, and floods in 2019, Kim, then residing in New York, launched Thankful for Farmers. This initiative highlighted the crucial role of farmers and their impact on climate change. Recognising the widespread issue of food waste, Kim was inspired to create Saveful, an app designed to help households make the most of their groceries and significantly reduce waste.
Start-up struggles and triumphs
Launching a startup is never without challenges, and Saveful was no exception. Limited resources and funding posed significant hurdles. As well as a healthy dose of scepticism.
“You have more chance of boiling the ocean. Nice passion project. Come and see me once you have launched. Good idea, but impossible from a tech perspective. These are just some of the responses I have received when sharing the vision for Saveful,” says Kim.
“You will be told ‘no’ more often than ‘yes’. As a female founder you are likely to be told ‘no’ even more. And, as an older female founder (I am not the young 20-something stereotype of a tech founder) you get told ‘no’ even more often.”
But Kim’s determination and strategic partnerships helped the app come to life. By focusing efforts and collaborating with partners who shared her vision, Saveful was successfully launched.
“Everyone will tell you that you should be patient. But, my advice is to be impatient and be persistently fierce to get the support or the funding you need,” says Kim.
Who also advises aspiring entrepreneurs to surround themselves with people who equal their passion. But, will challenge and push you to create the best product.
“Resilience, persistence and a firm belief in your product or service are essential,” says Kim. As is finding your team. “As an individual, I am never going to have all of the answers or expertise. And so, we have built a team of very smart people (they are much smarter than me), who share the vision to build the best possible product and user experience.”
Flexibility, frequent flights and feedback: Saveful’s best features
Saveful stands out with its innovative approach to reducing food waste. The app uses flexible meal frameworks, allowing users to create dishes based on the ingredients they have on hand. It also offers personalised meal ideas, chef-created frameworks, and practical hacks to extend food life. Users can track their savings and impact through a personalised dashboard, making it easy to see the benefits of their actions.
The collaboration with Qantas adds another layer of motivation. Sarah Udy, Executive Manager Member and Programme at Qantas Frequent Flyer, emphasises the importance of sustainability in their Green Tier programme. With over 650,000 frequent flyers already engaging in Green Tier, the addition of Saveful provides more opportunities for members to earn rewards for their sustainable practices.
Since its launch, Saveful has received glowing feedback from users. One user shared how they saved $153.41 and 10.48kg of food in just a few weeks. Another praised the app’s framework idea, which allowed them to make creative use of ingredients they already had at home. These testimonials highlight the app’s effectiveness and user-friendly design.
Today, Kim and her team aim to expand Saveful’s reach, both within Australia and internationally. By continuing to innovate and build partnerships, Saveful hopes to drive an even greater impact in reducing household food waste. The app’s success demonstrates the potential of technology to address environmental challenges and create lasting change.
“Technology can provide practical and tangible tools to empower people to make sustainable and conscious choices, save money and understand the impact of their actions,” says Kim. “Using digital tech and devices people are already familiar with, and with the use of AI enabled features we can personalise content and the user experience even further to help with the financial and sustainable wellbeing of people and the planet,” she says.
Saveful available for free on the App Store and Google Play. To learn more about the app and join the movement towards reducing food waste, visit Saveful.