Iceland is extremely passionate about reducing its food waste whilst also finding ways to give back to the community. Olio has been one of Iceland’s biggest redistribution partners since 2022, when we began working together to tackle food waste. Since then, together we have saved 3,227,996 kg of food going to waste.
Olio is an app where users can share items with other users, it now hosts over 8 million people worldwide. In nearly 1000 of our Iceland and The Food Warehouse stores, we donate to a local ‘Food Waste Hero’ who collects surplus food and then shares with other Olio members.
In 2024 alone, we have hit a massive 2.5 million meals redistributed, which equates to 55,900 families being fed! This means a CO2e saving of 4,758,729 kg, which is the same as taking 16,215,373 cars off the road. Whilst the environmental impacts of this are great, this food brings people together and means a lot to many in local communities. Below are some of the testimonials from our Food Waste Heroes who collect from Iceland stores.
“One of my collections from Iceland recently was two shopping trolleys full of food and it was all shared – much of it with lovely people who go on to share again with their local communities. I find it so rewarding to volunteer for Olio and I’ve met some lovely people along the way” Racheal, Winterstoke
“Because of businesses like Iceland my family can make ends meet. Couldn’t live without Olio. It makes a big difference to us as the fruit usually goes to make smoothies, the veg also adds to eating more vegetables.” Tara, York
Cecily in Plaistow has created a ‘Surplus Lemon & Ginger Tea Recipe’ from items she often gets from Olio – “Lemons are often rescued but rarely requested on Olio. They are in perfect shape and last for weeks…Olio-ers, please consider requesting them at your next collection! Credit: surplus lemons from Iceland, jar collected from Olio”
We are constantly looking for new ways to redistribute food waste and will continue to partner with Olio to do so. Richard Walker, Executive Chairman of Iceland Foods said: “Redistributing 2.5 million meals this year is something we’re incredibly proud of. At Iceland, our ‘Doing it Right’ philosophy is at the heart of everything we do, and this milestone is a great example of that commitment in action. By partnering with Olio, we’re not just reducing our environmental footprint—we’re making sure surplus food gets to the people who need it most.
It’s about more than just food waste, it’s about supporting our communities and doing what’s right for future generations. We look forward to continuing this partnership with Olio and finding even more innovative ways to make a meaningful difference.”
“Olio’s partnership with Iceland goes from strength to strength, and this milestone is testament to that. 2.5 million meals redistributed in under 12 months is really quite something! As with any celebration like this, thanks must go to Olio’s wonderful volunteers, who work so hard to get good food from Iceland’s 960 UK stores into the hands of families in surrounding communities. We’d also like to thank every Iceland colleague who’s contributed to making our partnership run so smoothly. Here’s to the next few million meals!” says Saasha Celestial-One, COO and co-founder, Olio.
If you want to get involved, download the Olio app from the app store and begin sharing!