Central Co-op partners with Olio to tackle food waste

In celebration of Stop Food Waste Day on the 24^th April 2024, we are very excited to announce our partnership with Olio is now in all Central Co-op stores, marking a significant milestone in our fight against food waste and food poverty!

Through this collaboration, Olio volunteers will rescue good food directly from Central Co-op stores at the end of each day and share it with members of the surrounding community in as little as 30 minutes.

Our commitment to sustainability and community support is exemplified by our food redistribution schemes, which have evolved to become a cornerstone of our mission.

Rooted in responsible waste management and social responsibility, our initiatives have achieved remarkable milestones over the years. From becoming zero to landfill in 2010, to aligning with the government's waste hierarchy framework and working with food waste charities since 2017, we have continuously adapted to better serve our communities and the environment.

Olio's and its food-safety trained Food Waste Hero volunteers will play a vital role in this partnership, collecting surplus food from Central Co-op stores, taking it home, and advertising it on the Olio app for individuals or groups to collect free of charge.

This approach promises to maximise community benefit while minimising waste, empowering more individuals and families to access essential resources. This is especially important during the ongoing cost of living crisis, and when so many families are struggling to access the food they need.

Already, the impact of our partnership with Olio has been outstanding. During the rollout phase, 351,488 items were saved, 106,022kg of food rescued (equivalent to 17 elephants!) and 194,505 meals equivalent saved - benefiting 6,848 individual households. Additionally, the partnership has saved 61 million litres of water, avoided 352,322kg of CO2 emissions, taken 1.2 million car miles off the road, and planted the equivalent of 16,182 trees.

Saasha Celestial-One, Co-Founder of Olio, comments: “We're incredibly proud of the impact we've achieved already. It's incredible to see the engagement and passion of Central Co-op colleagues across all of their stores, which has led to a massive buzz of positivity amongst our volunteers and the wider Olio community."

Hannah Gallimore, Social Change Manager at Central Co-op, added: "Our collaboration with Olio marks a significant step forward in our mission to combat food waste and food poverty. By leveraging the power of technology and community engagement, we are making a tangible difference in the lives of individuals and families while advancing in sustainability practices."

Central Co-op and Olio remain committed to our shared mission of creating a more sustainable and equitable future, leveraging the power of collaboration and innovation to address pressing societal challenges.