The Bonapp app is available on iOS and Android, and users in all cities where Penny has stores in Romania will now be able to buy a range of food products approaching their expiry date at a minimum 50% discount.

"After months of work, we have managed to improve our technology! Our app is now automated and integrated with Penny. This means that any product approaching its expiry date in Penny stores can now be listed in the Bonapp app with a single click. This technology enhancement, which incorporates an item-level file transfer protocol, significantly reduces intervention time for store staff. This major app update is truly unique in our industry. It is an important step for the future of our collaboration with Penny Romania", said Ramona Tulbure, Retail Director of Bonapp.

So far, more than 250,000 users in Romania have downloaded the app in Bucharest, Cluj-Napoca and Brasov, saving 300 tons of food from being thrown away.

Dan Crișan, COO Penny | REWE Romania said that "We position ourselves as the discounter that knows Romanians best and that is why it is very important for us to be close to customers all over the country. So the collaboration with Bonapp is a successful example that helps us to do this. Food waste management is a priority for us, so through our internal processes we try to reduce the amount of food waste as much as possible. The partnership with Bonapp came as a natural step for Penny Romania, and the expansion to 150 cities across the country by the end of the year is truly a great thing. The whole process is integrated and automated, making it very easy for our colleagues in stores and customers to use the app."

Globally, 40% of all available food is wasted, according to WWF. Food waste alone accounts for 10% of all greenhouse gases worldwide. In addition to growing climate change, food waste is also causing significant losses among large retail chains. In Romania alone, 2.2 million tonnes of food end up in landfill every year, according to the European Environment Agency.

Bonapp has now secured €1.4 million in funding from business angels and venture capital funding. The company's founders are currently working with a number of international investors for a new round of funding.