Romanians save RON 14.5 mln through food-rescue app Bonapp

Romanian consumers have saved more than RON 14.5 million by purchasing over 1.1 million discounted food packages through Bonapp since the platform launched in 2021, the company said. The app is now available in 144 cities and works with more than 2,000 restaurants, bakeries, and retailers across the country.

Bonapp allows businesses to sell food that remains safe to consume but risks going unsold, including surplus retail products, items approaching their expiry date, and meals left at restaurants or bakeries at the end of the day. Discounts generally range from 50% to 70%.

The company estimates that its users and partners have prevented approximately 922 tonnes of food from going to waste in Romania.

“Almost five years ago, when we launched Bonapp, we still had to explain why there was nothing wrong with buying food at a lower price that would otherwise risk being thrown away,” said Luka Zivkovic, Bonapp co-founder and Munch Group general manager for Romania, Czechia, and Slovakia. “Today, more than 1.1 million rescued packages later, saving food has become a habit for a growing number of Romanians.”

Mixed food packages account for 35% of all purchases through the app, while desserts and prepared meals each represent 21%. Preferences vary by city, with desserts making up 39% of rescued packages in Cluj-Napoca and 35% in Iași, while mixed packages account for 94% in Arad.

Bucharest leads in absolute numbers, but Cluj-Napoca records the highest use relative to population, with 50% more packages rescued per 1,000 inhabitants than in the capital. Iași ranks third on a per-capita basis.

Orders peak nationally between 17:00 and 20:00. Bonapp said this makes Romania the latest-ordering market among the four countries in which the wider group operates.

According to the company figures, one user has purchased 4,027 rescued packages in almost five years. The most active location on the platform is a Penny supermarket in Bucharest’s Titan district, while the leading independent business is Artizanii by Demetra Organic Bakery, which has sold 17,986 packages through 8,362 orders since October 2022.

Bonapp launched in Bucharest on November 4, 2021. Following a merger in 2025, it became part of Munch Group, which operates food-rescue platforms in Romania, Hungary, Slovakia, and Czechia under the Bonapp, Munch, and Nesnězeno brands.

September 29 marks the International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste. Globally, approximately one-third of all food produced goes to waste. In Romania, this amounts to 181 kg of food waste per person per year, one of the highest levels in the European Union. Approximately 31 kg comes from retail, restaurants, and food services, Bonapp representatives said.