Lidl GB and Neighbourly have expanded their partnership with food-sharing app, Olio, giving more shoppers the chance to collect surplus food from Lidl stores for free at the end of the day via the Olio app.
The initiative is now available at around 200 Lidl stores, from Newcastle to Shepherds Bush in London, with plans to roll it out nationwide by the end of the year.
The rollout builds on a successful trial of evening collections in 20 stores which has already prevented around 1,200kg of food waste per week. Once live nationally, the initiative is expected to redistribute 5,000 tonnes of surplus food each year, the equivalent of nearly 11.9m meals.
The scheme works by recruiting additional volunteers – known as Food Waste Heroes – who are able to step in when charities aren’t able to make an evening collection. Fresh items like chilled meat, fish, poultry, and the discounter’s popular bakery treats which can’t be held overnight can now be collected by dedicated Olio volunteers, ensuring they go straight to local people.
Georgina Hall, Director of Corporate Affairs at Lidl GB said: “Real change requires a community effort, and we are incredibly grateful to our store teams, charity partners and the dedicated Food Waste Heroes who are rescuing good quality food for those who need it most. With our sights set on a nationwide rollout by the end of this year, this expanding partnership will soon empower communities to rescue up to nearly 12 million meals every single year. This collaboration will make a huge impact on the lives of the most vulnerable in our communities everywhere.”
The new initiative significantly scales up the discounters’ existing efforts with social impact platform Neighbourly by integrating Olio’s network of Food Waste Heroes into its surplus food network – combining the strengths of two leading players in food redistribution for the first time. Since 2016, Lidl GB has donated 50m meals through its Feed it Back scheme with Neighbourly, linking every nationwide store to local good causes.
