Tesco tie-up with food sharing app Olio saves 30 million meals from landfill

Tesco’s partnership with sharing app Olio has saved more than 30 million meals from going to waste since it was set up nearly three years ago.

In August 2020 the supermarket became the first to partner with the app, which uses a network of volunteers to collect surplus food still fit for consumption to redistribute to local groups in need

Groups using Olio’s app are able to arrange pick up from an agreed collection point, with the charity working with over 80,000 volunteers.

The partnership builds on Tesco’s existing food surplus donations programme, including its Community Food Connection scheme with FareShare, which has been running since 2016.

Olio also has relationships with other food companies, including Pret a Manger, Booker and Compass Catering.

“It’s an enormous achievement to have diverted 30 million meals to those who need it most, as part of our partnership with Olio,” said Kené Umeasiegbu, campaigns director at Tesco.

“We’ve been able to do this thanks to the efforts of Tesco colleagues and Olio’s team of Food Waste Heroes.

“At Tesco, we are working hard to make sure that no food fit for human consumption goes to waste. That’s why our partnerships with organisations like Olio and FareShare are so important, helping us to divert surplus food to people in our communities.”

Saasha Celestial-One, co-founder of Olio, added: “We are overjoyed that our partnership with Tesco has now resulted in 30 million meals saved, and that those meals have impacted the lives of so many families up and down the UK. We’re really grateful to our volunteers, who have been so crucial to the success of our founding partnership with Tesco. We’re proud to be working with a true pioneer in the retail sector.

“That said, there’s so much more the sector can do to fight food waste. We hope the success of our partnership with Tesco pushes other businesses to consider how they can take a more proactive approach to minimising waste, supporting local communities and ultimately mitigating against the worst effects of climate change.”