It all started with a simple question: what if the food we throw away could feed someone in need? The bustling streets of South Delhi, a quiet revolution, is taking shape — led not by corporations or governments, but by students. Inspired by the Prime Minister’s call to reduce food waste and tackle rising lifestyle diseases, a group of young changemakers created Pick’n’Treat, a youth-led initiative on a mission to rescue surplus food and deliver it to those who need it most.
Enough is enough! Food belongs on plates, not in landfills!
Born out of concern and inspiration, Pick’n’Treat began as a student-led response to a problem India can no longer ignore. With 224 million citizens going to bed hungry, and over 75 million tonnes of food wasted each year, the contradiction is painful. For the team behind Pick’n’Treat, it was also motivating.
“We started asking ourselves, what if surplus food could be repurposed instead of wasted?” says one of the founding members. That question sparked a solution: Magic Bags. Each “Magic Bag” is a simple package — 3-5kg of fresh, unsold produce collected from local vendors and offered to customers at deeply discounted prices. The idea is elegant and effective. It reduces food waste, helps vendors earn from surplus, and makes healthy food more accessible.
The first pilot, launched with seven Safal vendors in South Delhi, exceeded expectations. In just a few weeks, 250kg of vegetables were rescued and 50 Magic Bags sold. Customers, delighted by the quality and affordability, often picked up other items during their visits spending an additional ₹100 on average. Vendors benefited. Food was saved. And most importantly, a small shift in mindset began.
The initiative is not just about bags of vegetables, it is about reshaping attitudes. Pick’n’Treat’s campaigns tackle cosmetic standards in produce (“Good food does not have to be good-looking”), clarify confusion around “best before” dates, and promote healthier, cheaper alternatives to food delivery by encouraging dine-in or walk-to-store models. They advocate for a circular economy where waste becomes opportunity — and where youth are the drivers of that change.
Behind every Magic Bag is an understanding of something bigger: the climate crisis. Food that rots in landfills releases methane — a greenhouse gas far more potent than CO₂. Pick’n’Treat’s work not only feeds people but actively reduces carbon emissions. They estimate that their first round of rescued food avoided around 150kg of CO₂ emissions. For every kilogram of wheat saved, 1,500 liters of water is conserved. These are not just numbers — they are tangible contributions to the planet.
Pick’n’Treat also makes a compelling case for the link between food habits and public health. With obesity, heart disease, and diabetes affecting younger populations at alarming rates, some as young as 24, emphasizes that eating right is not a luxury, but a necessity. And in a world of expensive delivery apps pushing fast food, Magic Bags offer a refreshing, affordable counterpoint rooted in local, seasonal, and nutritious produce.
The team is clear: food redistribution must be part of the solution to India’s growing sustainability crisis. “We are not here to give charity. We are here to realign systems,” they say. That includes empowering local businesses, creating student-led sustainability clubs, and building a model that communities can replicate anywhere.
Pick’n’Treat is not just an initiative, it is a statement. That students can lead with purpose. Those simple ideas, when executed well, can disrupt entrenched problems.
And that a Magic Bag can carry more than food — it can carry hope, equity, and environmental change.
Their story is still unfolding. But for now, in a small corner of Delhi, some of India’s youngest changemakers are doing what the world’s biggest systems have failed to do: feed people, not landfills.