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Anyone tried anti wastage apps?

JacquimcmahonJacquimcmahon Posts: 969
in The potting shed
Just wondering if anyone has tried an anti wastage app either for food or plants? 

I am going to collect my first “surprise baskets” today from my local garden center. 1 for general plants and 1 for “potager”. I took one of each and both promise to have at least 3 times the value I paid in plants which are either slightly damaged or old stock… can’t wait to see what I come away with.

some friends have used with supermarkets and say they are really good.
Marne la vallée, basically just outside Paris 🇫🇷, but definitely Scottish at heart.

Posts

  • YessicaHaircutYessicaHaircut Posts: 145
    I use Olio for both food and non-food items - I've recently given away some seeds. I keep meaning to try a 'magic bag' from our local Greek bakery on Too Good To Go, but I haven't got around to it yet.

    I didn't know there were apps for plants! Tell me more. :)
    Sussex coast
  • B3B3 Posts: 25,155
    Sounds like fun. 
    In London. Keen but lazy.
  • FireFire Posts: 17,116
    I've used Olio (for food swaps and other stuff) for the last six years. I use it most weeks. It was founded in my neighbourhood so has a very strong membership; Saasha lives close by. Totally free. Now works with Tescos, Pret, Planet Organic etc. Now used in 62 countries. Many of the apps work hyper-locally, so the downside is that if the membership hasn't built up in your area yet, there is nobody to swap with.

    I was with a local FB swap group for about six years and got much of the stuff cheap or free from there for my house and garden (including many of my first hellebores). FB isn't built for swap/sales so group admining is much harder, and adminning for quality and courtsey is really important for that kind of group as so many scammer turn up. I'm not with FB anymore.

    I believe groups like the Secret Garden Club started as a waste plant management project but has maybe adopted a different model these days.

    We have two strong neighbourhood swap groups plus a garden swap group that are pretty much mailling all day via Whatsapp - about 500 people in all. We are encouraging people to lend tools, ladders, wheelbarrows etc rather than buy ones they don't need often. Olio is used a lot here too, so you can post some food  (left over curry or extra milk, say) or a plant going free and it will be usually be collected in 30 mins of less. It's the virtue of having a lot of people in on the same tech living with a few streets of each other.

    Swap/sell/lend groups are certainly the way forward.
  • YessicaHaircutYessicaHaircut Posts: 145
    Oh, @Fire, that's inspired me! I'd love to have a local garden swap group. I think I'll have a word with a couple of friends and see if they're interested and try to get the ball rolling from there.
    Sussex coast
  • FireFire Posts: 17,116
    @YessicaHaircut it took a few tries and a few years to get it going. The key is to keep going!
  • JacquimcmahonJacquimcmahon Posts: 969
    We have the equivalent of freecycle here in France, it’s pretty good for person to person stuff . 

    The app I used today is called Phenix, I’m not sure is it works in the UK. Our local garden center has been offering baskets for 1/3 normal sales price.

    i took 2 baskets today and here is what I got:

    ”potager” 4 different tomato varieties (big plants, just some damaged leaves), large but leggy basil. I paid 6euro, which was not too bad considering the size of the plants.

    ”flowers” 1pre planted window box with violas, daisies and forget me nots in a really nice box with incoperated water reservoir!, tray of 12 pansies, 2 beautiful primulas, 3 large pots of pansies, large pot of wallflower, 2 really big pots of carnations. Paid 20euro very good value based on the original tickets.
    Marne la vallée, basically just outside Paris 🇫🇷, but definitely Scottish at heart.
  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 29,088
    Must be a Paris thing @Jacquimcmahon.  The only Phenix round here are a web builder company and a bespoke house builder company.
    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing." - George Bernard Shaw
  • FireFire Posts: 17,116
    edited April 2022
    Oddbox is good. Lots of neighbours use it.


    Toogoodtogo also



  • JacquimcmahonJacquimcmahon Posts: 969
    I don’t know exactly where you are Obelixx, I put “Vendée” into the apps search engine and it came up with a bunch of places in La Roche sur Yon, I don’t know if that’s close to you or not. 
    Marne la vallée, basically just outside Paris 🇫🇷, but definitely Scottish at heart.
  • floraliesfloralies Posts: 2,298
    I looked for Phenix around here but the nearest seems to be up in Toulouse which is quite a way from us.
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