Health food retailer Holland and Barrett and Olio – a company which runs a food sharing app – have teamed up for a partnership that helps prevent food waste and also deliver goods to those that need them.
The tie-up allows Holland and Barrett to safely redistribute spare, good-to-eat food to people living near its stores.
It is made possible by Olio pairing each Holland & Barrett store with one of its 90,000 food-safety trained volunteers. These volunteers will visit Holland and Barrett stores at the end of each day to collect spare food that’s nearing its use-by date. They take the food home, take a photograph of it and upload to the Olio app which prompts local people to request it and collect it.
Holland and Barrett and Olio working together will result in the retailer’s growing number of fresh food items being collected, as well as its ambient food products such as nuts, fruit, drinks, sports bars and powders.
Indeed, Holland and Barrett and Olio actually started working together earlier this year, and a joint statement from the businesses released last week suggests they have already rescued nearly 20,000kgs of food equating to the provision of 45,000 meals to UK communities. Their calculations also have it at 82,000kgs of CO2 prevented from entering the atmosphere as a result of the redistributed food being not rotting as food waste.
Saasha Celestial-One, chief operating (COO) officer & co-founder of Olio, commented: “We know our app users across the UK will be delighted to see their healthy and nutritious food coming onto the platform.
“This move from Holland and Barrett takes us one step closer to a food waste free retail sector in the UK – here’s hoping many more retailers will follow suit.”
Anthony Houghton, Holland and Barrett COO, added: “We’re dedicated to creating a healthier and more sustainable world, and this partnership is a significant step towards that.
“Our new chilled food offering has been incredibly popular with our customers already, and we’re very pleased to share surplus stock with Olio to make sure that it’s reaching those who are most in need.”
Our editor, Ben Sillitoe, looked at the multitude of apps available to help retailers reduce their food waste in an article for Computer Weekly in 2022. Have a read of the feature here.
[Image credit: Green Retail World]
1 thought on “‘Powerful commitment’: Holland and Barrett and Olio to redistribute would-be food waste”
I remember a time when I stumbled upon perfectly edible items at my local grocery store, destined for disposal simply due to nearing their best-before dates. It struck me then, as it does now, that there’s so much potential for change in how we handle surplus food. Holland and Barrett’s dedication to this cause, coupled with Olio’s innovative platform, is a beacon of hope for a future where we can minimize food waste and address food insecurity simultaneously. It’s not just a business initiative; it’s a collective effort to make a difference. This collaboration makes me proud to be a customer of companies that go beyond profits and truly consider their environmental and social impact. It’s a powerful reminder that every small action, whether it’s rescuing a box of slightly bruised fruits or supporting businesses with a commitment to sustainability, contributes to a larger, positive change. Kudos to Holland and Barrett and Olio for taking this powerful step towards a more sustainable and compassionate future. https://www.ourgreenstreets.org/org/berkhamsted-recycling-centre/