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Tech Tuesday: Would You Eat A Stranger’s Leftovers?

Tech Tuesday highlights the best and brightest ideas in the tech world. ABCey would like to recognize these up and coming companies for their innovative ideas and ability to think outside the box!

We repeat: would you eat a stranger’s leftovers?! LeftoverSwap, a San Francisco-based startup, thinks you might.

After a large, hearty meal, handing over your leftovers to a friend or someone in need isn’t that big of a deal. Yet when the process is standardized in the form of the app LeftoverSwap, sharing leftover food moves from an afterthought into a grey area.

The service is designed to cut down on waste from uneaten food and allow those in need to buy the leftovers cheaply. Simply take a picture of those last few pizza slices and someone in the area will pay to come get them. LeftoverSwap claims that what they’re doing is good for people, the environment, and communities… but are they right?

LeftoverSwap, like many other peer-to-peer tech services, has been on the bad end of public criticism. The online community is not shy about showing their disdain for what they call “disgusting meals” from “unstable strangers.” San Francisco Health Officials maintain that it is illegal to sell food in the city without a permit and that “leftover food is a huge source of food-borne illness.” LeftoverSwap’s CEO asks users to trust in their common man, a practice he says will support community-building through the trust-forming relationships built when people share food.

What do you think of the LeftoverSwap app: does it spread community love or just food poisoning? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section or on Facebook and Twitter!