Lidl GB has thrown its weight behind one of the most ambitious trials of redistributing leftover food ever seen on a British high street, partnering consumer food-sharing app Olio with long-standing partner Neighborly in a bid that could keep millions more meals out of the bin each year.
The German-owned discounter, which has been one of the fastest growing stores in Britain over the past decade, will implement the new three-way model on Friday 15 May in 20 stores in London and the north of England. If the pilot delivers as expected, Lidl expects a nationwide rollout by the end of 2026 – a change that will see more than 5,000 tons of edible waste, equivalent to approximately 11.9 million meals, redirected annually from landfill to people who need it.
The partnership is unusual in that it brings together two of the most prominent names in British food rebranding for the first time. Neighbours, a Bristol-based social impact platform that already runs Lidl's “Feed it Back” programme, will continue to link the pipeline. Olio, the London-headquartered app that has built a community of more than nine million users around the world around the idea of sharing rather than binging leftover food, will connect its “Food Waste Warriors” volunteers to Lidl's evening collection points as a second tier behind charities.
In operation, Food Waste Heroes will arrive at participating stores after trading hours to pick up cooler lines, including meat, fish and poultry, as well as Lidl's popular bakery range. The food is then given, free of charge, to neighbors through the Olio app – which extends the reach of the redistribution network until the evening, when our charity partners often receive collections that are more difficult for staff.
It is also a clear sign that the discount industry has no intention of excelling in sustainability. Lidl has already smashed its previous waste target, reducing waste by more than 40% ahead of schedule, and has since increased the rate to 70% by the end of FY2030. According to WRAP, the government's waste advisory body, only around 7 per cent of food waste sold and produced in the UK is currently redistributed, leaving a significant prize for any retailer ready to break things down.
Matt Juden, head of sustainability at Lidl GB, described the move as the logical next step in a plan the supermarket has been refining since 2016. “At Lidl GB, we believe that no good food should go to waste,” he said. “While we have made great strides in reducing our waste, this expansion of our Neighborly managed program allows us to have an even greater impact. It ensures that we reach every corner of the communities we serve, ensuring that food stays on plates and out of the bin.”
The pilot also comes at a critical time for retailers who collect a lot of money only in the evening. Concerns have recently been raised by charities about Tesco's evening-only collection policy, and Neighborly chief executive Steve Butterworth has been at pains to stress that Lidl's model will not exclude third party partners. “Our goal has always been to ensure that most of the food we eat goes to those in our communities who need it the most,” she said. “By extending the program to evening collections and including Olio's Food Waste Heroes, we are giving Lidl an extra strong layer of redistribution. This isn't about diverting food away from charities, it's about opening up new rivers of cool and fresh products for them, while making sure nothing goes to waste if a charity can't make it.”
For Olio, this deal marks another important institutional endorsement of a model the startup has been quietly growing since 2015. Founder and chief operating officer Saasha Celestial-One described the merger as an opportunity to put more money into the hands of local people. “We are happy to partner with Neighborly and Lidl,” he said. “We look forward to working together to increase the amount of edible waste that can reach local communities from Lidl stores, and ensure that as little food as possible is wasted. We are excited to see the impact of the research, and we know that our volunteers will be delighted to have the opportunity to rescue Lidl food through our app.”
The political and regulatory environment is changing in favor of redistributors. Ministers have expressed growing impatience with the amount of food still going to waste, with Labor recently backing a £15m rescue fund aimed at supporting food redistribution organizations and helping them invest in the logistics and technology needed to handle large, highly perishable donations. Pilots like Lidl-Olio-Neighbourly slot neatly into that journey, showing how the private sector can fill the gap without waiting for primary legislation.
Lidl GB has now donated over 50 million meals through Feed it Back since 2016, linking all its UK stores with a local good cause. With Olio's expansion on top, the discounter is making a calculated bet that combining the efficiency of its national charity partner with the long tail of a consumer-led app can finally close the thorny last-mile gap in surplus redistribution — and turn what remains one of the grocery industry's most stubborn problems into a marker of competitive advantage.
