Central Co-op has announced the official rollout of its partnership with Olio across all Central Co-op stores in an effort to tackle food waste.

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.

Olio's Food Waste Hero volunteers will collect 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.

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.

Olio co-founder Saasha Celestial-One said: “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."

Central Co-op's social change manager, Hannah Gallimore, 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."

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