According to Tesco’s press release today, tens of thousands of ‘Food Waste Hero’ volunteers have already prevented more than 30 million meals from going to waste,thanks to a pioneering partnership between Tesco and the premier free sharing app Olio.
Olio’s network of 80,000 volunteers collects extra food that is still edible from Tesco stores in their neighbourhood. They then return home and quickly post the products on the Olio app, ready to be re-distributed for free to individuals living nearby. Locals may then request products using Olio’s app and pick them up at an agreed-upon collecting spot.
Tesco will be the first retailer to join with Olio in August 2020, ensuring that unsold extra food reaches people in local communities rather than going to waste. Olio and Tesco saved 5.8 million meals from going to waste in the first year alone. The cooperation has grown from strength to strength, with hundreds of thousands of individuals benefiting from the 30 million Tesco meals given thus far.
Andrea Teixeira, an Olio Food Waste Hero who collects from three Tesco stores in Wiltshire, said of the collaboration :“I became a Food Waste Hero after using Olio myself, I wanted to help more people stop food from going to waste and save money. I love Olio’s partnership with Tesco. After collecting from stores for 5 months now, I have seen first-hand how it’s having a vast impact in our community and helping both families and the environment. Since starting as a Food Waste Hero, I have redistributed over 3,700 meals – it’s such an incredible feeling to see those meals go to people who really appreciate them.”
In 2022, Olio launched its new Multi-Collector and Waitlist programs across the Tesco Group, collaborating with charities to assist Tesco in redistributing even more surplus food for human consumption. Olio also has ambitious plans for development in 2023, including more expansion in the UK retail, hotel, and catering sectors, as well as building on its global international expansion initiatives.
