Waste management giant Biffa has announced a partnership with food sharing app Olio to allow same-day local food redistribution from the restaurants and retailers it services.
The announcement follows a trial across 25 sites at Nando’s, Caffè Nero and Nisa.
Biffa said its new collaboration with Olio offered retail and hospitality businesses a unique opportunity to transform their on-site surplus food into meaningful support for local communities.
The service will work alongside its commercial redistribution Company Shop Group, which was acquired by Biffa in 2021.
The partnership comes against a backdrop of billions of potential meals ending up in the bin, while 11.3 million people struggle to feed themselves in the UK, Biffa and Olio stressed.
Businesses using Biffa as their waste partner will now be able to set aside unsold food at the end of the working day for Olio volunteers to collect. They then take the food home and upload it to Olio’s app, so people nearby can request and collect it.
Businesses can also track the impact that their Olio food donations are having on the local community via Olio’s Partner Hub – including how many meals they’ve rescued, how much water they’ve saved, and the emissions prevented through the food they’ve redistributed.
“By joining forces, our unique collaboration enables us to move more food up the waste hierarchy than ever before, helping our customers hit their sustainability goals while saving them money by reducing food waste,” said Biffa innovation manager Amy Hooper.
“What sets this initiative apart is that businesses can tackle same-day food surplus, track the positive impact of their contribution, and access end-to-end food surplus and waste management solutions all in one place.
“Along with Company Shop Group as part of the wider Biffa group, customers will have access to a great range of options to manage their food waste and surplus sustainably with tangible social impact tracking.”
Olio co-founder and COO Saasha Celestial-One added: “We’re so proud to announce our new partnership with Biffa, which is the first of its kind in the commercial waste management sector. Together, we’re able to reduce the weight of good, edible food ending up in Biffa bins, and make sure it feeds local families instead.
“Olio and Biffa are 100% aligned on our mission to build a future without waste, and we’ve been really encouraged to see the results from our trials across Caffè Nero, Nando’s and Nisa locations.”
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