Food sharing milestone

Historic moment for food sharing app Olio as it celebrates 100 million meals rescued

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Published: December 14, 2024
This Article was written by: Katie Hill - My Green Pod
app, community, food, food waste, sharing, supermarkets, tech

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Food sharing app Olio has announced it has rescued 100 million meals from going to waste since it was founded in 2015.

Olio has achieved this predominantly via its community surplus food redistribution solution – or Food Waste Heroes Programme. Partners include major UK and Irish retailers such as Tesco, Asda, Iceland, Holland & Barrett, Boots and catering giant Compass.

The impact so far

In rescuing 100 million meals, Olio and its partners have been able to deliver an impressive impact.

They have saved approximately £183 million worth of food from the bin – that’s enough to pay for a weekly food shop for 1.24 million families.

31 billion litres of water – enough to fill 12,400 Olympic swimming pools – have been saved and 177,715 tonnes of CO2 emissions have been avoided. That’s equivalent to cancelling 177,600 passenger flights from London to New York.

‘We’re incredibly proud to work with partners who share our vision to end food waste. Together, we’re proving that stopping food waste at scale is possible.’

SAASHA CELESTIAL-ONE
Olio’s co-founder and COO

Olio’s Food Waste Heroes

OIio’s food redistribution solution for businesses relies on a network of 130,000 volunteers, called Food Waste Heroes, who complete thorough food safety training before signing up to collect food from businesses in their local area.

They then take food home and upload it to Olio’s app for local people to request and collect.

Olio’s flagship partner was Tesco in 2019, but it has since expanded across a number of sectors, including catering and hospitality.

Volunteers now collect surplus from nearly 9,000 sites in the UK and Ireland each month, including schools, offices, hospitals, hotels and restaurants – and even zoos and film sets.

‘This milestone represents more than just numbers – it’s a testament to the power of collective action in fighting food waste. Each meal rescued is a step toward a better future.’

TESSA CLARKE
Co-founder and CEO of Olio

Destigmatising free food

Olio maintains that rather than just being for those in need, food shared on its app is for everyone; this stance reduces the stigma around accessing free food for people who would rather not sign on to a food bank.

An Olio user called Daniel says that ‘[Olio] has helped so much! I’ve found myself very hungry in recent challenging times, and it’s honestly a massive help to know that there’s help out there.’

Another user, called Shukur, said: ‘[Olio] has helped me through a tough time and it’s restored my faith in humanity. Food might not be a big deal for many but it is for those who don’t have it.’

Food waste reporting

Olio hopes to sustain this momentum in the coming months as the government re-opens its debate around mandatory food waste reporting for big businesses.

Under the legislation, businesses would be required to publish data around the food they throw away, creating more accountability to address the tonnes of edible food that never gets eaten in the UK, and driving the need for more food redistribution.