Free app that could help Doncaster families reduce £700 of food waste every year

Residents and businesses in Doncaster have discovered a modern way of reducing their food waste with a click of a button.
Food waste compostingFood waste composting
Food waste composting

Pioneering food sharing app OLIO is now available in Doncaster to provide an easy way to help families reduce the £700 worth of edible food that they bin every year.

OLIO is a free app that connects neighbours with each other and with local shops and cafes, so surplus food (and other household items) can be shared not thrown away.

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Users simply snap a photo of their spare and add it to the app. Neighbours who live nearby receive customised alerts and can request anything that takes their fancy. Most items are offered for free, though users can also request a donation to charity for their listings.

Food shared could be food nearing its sell-by date from local stores, spare home-grown vegetables, bread from the local baker, or the groceries in your fridge when you go away, move home or go on a diet. You can also share non-food items such as furniture, clothes, toys, household and beauty products.

Food waste is a major issue, and not just for the supermarkets. Globally, a third of all food produced is wasted, and in the UK, households account for half of all waste - binning over £13bn of edible food, costing families £700 per year. Food waste is also costly for local stores and councils, and ranks as one of the world’s largest emitters of greenhouse gases.

OLIO has been used in over 140 countries and over 700,000 items have been successfully shared between neighbours. OLIO also has a flourishing volunteer network - over 19,000 people have reached out to the organisation requesting to become volunteers, to promote food sharing locally and rescue and redistribute food in their communities via OLIO.

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One of those volunteers is Arslan Chaudhry: “OLIO stops good food from going to waste, and it’s also a good way to connect with the local community. OLIO makes reducing food waste quick and easy. If enough people start using OLIO, it can also help people reduce their weekly shopping costs as they just open the app and see what’s available nearby.”

OLIO Co-Founder Tessa Cook added: “Every day across the communities we’re in, hundreds of people are connecting on their doorsteps to share surplus food. If you love food, hate waste, enjoy a bargain or just want to meet your neighbours, then OLIO is for you!”

Find out more and download the free app at OLIOex.com