Food redistribution platform Neighbourly has reallocated more meals to local communities in the past year than in any previous yearly period amid rising living costs.
The group, which works with supermarkets including M&S, Lidl, Aldi and Sainsbury’s, has surpassed 100 million meals donated to local community charities across the UK – of which 32.8 million were redistributed in the past year alone (between August 2021 and August 2022).
This is the equivalent to 13,790 tonnes of food, worth £62.3m.
Neighbourly’s network of partners and local charities has also increased, as supermarkets and foodservice players look to reduce food waste by redistributing surplus, making year-on-year comparisons difficult, but CEO Steve Butterworth pointed to the current cost of living crisis as one of the reasons behind the figures.
“This is an important milestone for Neighbourly, our corporate partners and crucially for our good causes,” he said. “This huge figure translates to genuine positive impact in terms of food waste avoided.
“Of course, the fact food banks and frontline charities are facing such significant demand is a stark reminder of the scale of the cost of living crisis. We shouldn’t need to rely on surplus to help solve social challenges.”
Neighbourly first launched in 2014, and now counts 45 corporate partners including grocers, suppliers and restaurants, helping millions of people stay fed by donating to over 21,000 local causes such as charities, community groups and schools.
Recent research with its network of charity partners has found that demand for food, household essentials and clothing is on the rise at the same time as donations have decreased.
“Whilst we are proud of the achievement, it does not detract from the urgent issues facing increasing numbers of people across the UK,” Butterworth said.
“Our network of community groups is already experiencing soaring demand, particularly for food that does not require cooking.
“The role of corporate partners with surplus products to share is only set to grow this winter, and they will play a vital role in enabling local charities to survive and support their local communities.”
No comments yet