While Freecycle, Gumtree and Craigslist serve as the world’s well-trodden forums for breathing new life into unwanted goods (and ensuring they avoid the rubbish heap), something we throw away far more frequently than anything else has been conspicuously missing from the equation: food. But an upstart community in Germany aims to change that and make a dent in the more than 2 billion tonnes of food thrown away globally each year. Food-Sharing conects people who have excess to give away with anyone who might need or want it, and already in its infancy has saved more than 4500 kilos.

The self-policing, honor-based platform designates exchange hotspots, sets a basic set of rules and stipulates that no money change hands in its process. It seeks to “reinstate the spiritual, non-monetary value of food, because it is more than just a commodity.” It is a timely and encouraging addition to the burgeoning spate of ethical sharing platforms, and one that we’d like to see catch on everywhere.