Lidl has announced that a scheme to ensure surplus food doesn't go to waste is now available at 200 stores – with plans to take it nationwide. Lidl GB and Neighbourly have expanded their partnership with the food-sharing app, Olio, meaning more people in the community have access to food that would otherwise have gone to waste at the end of the day via the Olio app.
How the scheme works
The scheme works by recruiting volunteers, known as "Food Waste Heroes", who are able to step in when charities aren’t able to do a collection in the evening. Fresh items like chilled meat, fish, poultry, and bakery treats which can’t be held overnight can now be picked up by Olio volunteers before the store closes, so that the products can go straight to local people. Volunteers collect the surplus food and are permitted to keep up to 10% of the rescued items for their own households, whilst distributing the rest to neighbours in their community via the app.
It means that food goes straight to local families, shelters, and community groups, rather than needlessly going to waste, with volunteers able to benefit too.
Rollout and impact
The rollout follows a trial of evening collections in 20 stores which is said to have prevented around 1,200kg of food waste per week. The initiative is expected to redistribute 5,000 tonnes of surplus food each year once it's in place nationwide, the equivalent of close to 11.9 million meals.
Lidl says the initiative "significantly scales up" its "existing efforts with social impact platform Neighbourly by integrating Olio’s network of Food Waste Heroes into its surplus food network - combining the strengths of two leading players in food redistribution for the first time".
Stores across the country
The 200 stores supporting the scheme are across the country, from Newcastle to Shepherds Bush in London, with plans for it to be available nationally by end of 2026.
Community response
Buzzee Beez Pre-school Food Scheme collects from the Lidl store in Harlow, Essex. Kelly Stallwood, Deputy manager from the pre-school said the "new evening collections of chilled and bakery items have been so beneficial to the families we support in the pre-school". "Whether they have new babies arriving, are struggling with the rising cost of living, or simply want to support reducing food waste, the reaction has been fantastic," she added. "In the pre-school we support over 50 families…so this surplus food really helps make a difference".
Georgina Hall, Director of Corporate Affairs at Lidl GB said: "Real change requires a community effort, and we are incredibly grateful to our store teams, charity partners and the dedicated Food Waste Heroes who are rescuing good quality food for those who need it most. With our sights set on a nationwide rollout by the end of this year, this expanding partnership will soon empower communities to rescue up to nearly 12 million meals every single year. This collaboration will make a huge impact on the lives of the most vulnerable in our communities everywhere."
