Manx tech company Gander nominated for prestigious Earthshot Prize

Wed, 31 May 2023

An Isle of Man technology company tackling the “shocking” and “unsustainable” levels of supermarket food waste has been nominated for the prestigious Earthshot Prize, aiming to solve some of the world’s greatest environmental challenges.

Gander, created by Island residents and father and son Mike and Ashley Osborne, has already helped save 25,000 tonnes of CO2 and prevented 24 million food items from being discarded since launching in 2019.

The app’s innovative technology allows shoppers to find reduced-price food in Shoprite stores Island-wide, stopping goods from going to landfill, saving customers money, and improving margins for businesses.

Mike Osborne, managing director of Gander, said the current levels of waste globally were unacceptable, and that drastic change was urgently needed to prevent “catastrophe”.

He said: ‘The present scale of food waste worldwide is appalling, particularly during a cost-of-living crisis. A shocking one-third of all food produced globally goes to waste, and the retail sector alone is responsible for 13% of that waste, with an average of 50% reduced to clear food going to waste.

‘To prevent a catastrophe, we require a significant transformation. That is why Gander was created.

‘Large food corporations often make bold claims, but we must make throwing away good food as socially unacceptable as smoking indoors.’

 

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