Lidl and Neighbourly bring in Olio to boost surplus food sharing
Lidl GB is evolving its long-standing partnership with Neighbourly by introducing a new trial with the food-sharing app Olio to enable it to redistribute more surplus food.
Managed by Neighbourly, the new model has added Olio’s Food Waste Hero network as an extra layer to support the supermarket’s primary charity partners.
Subscribe to TRBUsing the free Olio app, registered Food Waste Heroes collect items in the evenings and share them with neighbours nearby for free.
Launching on 15 May across 20 Lidl stores in London and Northern England, the trial is expected to redistribute more than 5,000 tonnes of food to people in need each year if successful.
Matt Juden, head of sustainability at Lidl GB, said: “At Lidl GB, we believe that no good food should ever go to waste.
“While we have already made massive strides in reducing our surplus, this extension of our Neighbourly-managed programme allows us to have even more impact.
“It ensures that we are reaching every corner of the communities we serve, making sure edible food stays on plates and out of the bin.”
Lidl is hoping to roll out the scheme nationwide by the end of 2026 as part of its work to reduce food waste by 70% by the end of its 2030 financial year.
