Inside growing efforts to fight food waste on the Front Range

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KOAA) — They say good things come to those who wait. But what if it meant you reduced food waste in the process?

I learned more about local efforts that allow you to eat what would otherwise be tossed, and how it could save you a quick buck in the process.

What started as a project with some Colorado Springs-based small businesses has expanded significantly. Goodie Bag owner and CU-Boulder graduate Eddy Connors says his efforts to reduce food waste now span multiple spots in the Front Range.

"We got our start at places like Bella's Bagels and Slice 420," said Connors.

The expansion includes a spot that takes him back to his college days.

"Cheba Hut was an out-of-stater's welcome to Colorado," said Connors.

Through the Goodie Bag app, restaurants save food that would be thrown out at the end of the day for you to pick up at a lower price. These repurposed food items are now offered at all of Colorado Springs' Cheba Huts.

Here's how it works: Have you ever ordered a sandwich and thought, I wanted mayonnaise instead of mustard? In the past, that sandwich goes in the trash, then to a landfill. But if you're more a mustard guy, you could order that sandwich through the app.

According to the owner of Colorado's Cheba Huts, it's already paying off.

"We have saved over 1,400 'goodie bags,' so not all sandwiches, there are some dessert bags. We just launched at all our locations a few months ago," said David Timmons.

According to Colorado's Department of Health, roughly 30% to 40% of all food produced goes uneaten, with more than half getting sent to landfills. So though this might seem like a small step, Connors says it all adds up.

"It's every business owner's challenge: you don't know what demand you're going to have that day. To make sure you have enough product for every customer who comes in, you have to overproduce," said Connors. "If we're still able to not have what was overproduced go to the landfill, you're creating a more circular economy because you're not having waste by definition."

"We see this as being a service all business owners have access to," said Connors.

Timmons added one Cheba Hut location in Colorado makes roughly 500 sandwiches a day. So, even if they save a small fraction, it's still enough to leave an impact.

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