Europeans throw away 90 million tons of food each year. A new German nonprofit website aims to connect surplus food with people who want it. Foodsharing.de is an Internet site where individuals, dealers, and producers in Germany have the possibility to offer or collect surplus food for free. With www.foodsharing.de, you can also arrange after cooking to remove your excess food and share it with others rather than throw it away.

The basic idea: People share food. It is intended to involve no money, because sharing has an ethical dimension. The way the website works is simple: You sign up as a member and either list a “basket” with approved food items you have available for pick up or find a “basket” if you are looking for certain foods. Also, for anyone about to cook and find they are short on an ingredient or are looking for people to share any excess, there’s a third “food-sharing” option.