This year, continuing uncertainty about the impact of the new Covid variant, Omicron, and potential social distancing rules, may lead to even more Christmas food waste than normal. This is because both homes, and pubs and restaurants, will be unsure of how much food to buy for guests.
Food redistribution apps such as Olio hope to help deal with any additional surpluses.
“This Christmas, we’re gearing up to activate if there’s a wider shutdown of hospitality, which would result in enormous quantities of food being wasted, unless it can be swiftly redistributed,” says Olio’s Ms Clarke.
Its app is free for households to use, while it charges supermarkets and restaurants a small fee.
Tesco supermarkets is one of Olio’s customers, and in September 2020 the two launched a UK-wide initiative. Under the scheme, Olio volunteers, known as Food Waste Heroes, go to their local Tesco store to collect food that is nearing the end of its shelf life.
They then redistribute it locally, both to individuals in need, and community groups. The programme now connects 35,000 trained volunteers with other companies including sandwich shop chain, Pret a Manger and coffee firm Costa.
“In the past year alone, our partnership with Tesco’s 2,700 stores has stopped more than five million meals from going to waste,” says Ms Clarke.
She adds that, for the companies, the system is half the price of paying for the food to be taken away as waste.
Meanwhile, members of the public who wish to share food via the Olio app, upload a photo to make a listing. And then if another Olio user wishes to come and pick it up, they can message the other person via the app.
