SHOPPERS and charities can benefit from discounted food and surplus products.
A local co-operative is to join a new programme that will keep as much food as possible from going to waste.
Southern Co-op has six retail stores in Berkshire, and is currently rolling out the new scheme across all of its stores, including Wokingham’s Market Place Co-operative.
Launched in late July, Too Good To Go Magic Bags sells discounted products that are near to their use-by dates.
The scheme will later begin to target food best before date items too, with these either being reduced to 20p, or donated to local good causes..
Too Good To Go is the world’s largest surplus food app.
It lets users rescue surprise ‘Magic Bags’ of unsold food from shops and restaurants so it doesn’t go to waste.
Via the free-to-download app, customers can buy surplus food and drink products from local Southern Co-op sites which are near to their expiry date.
Gemma Lacey, Southern Co-op’s Director for Sustainability and Communications, said:
“All of these programmes involve a different method of improving food sustainability.
By combining them together and making sure they are right for each store, we hope we can prevent food from going off to be recycled and get more into the hands of customers and good causes.
“It will benefit our customers as snapping up a Magic Bag could help those who are finding budgets tight as well as dozens of charities who can make use of goods past their best before date – which is a date that relates to quality, not the safety of the product.”
All store waste is currently diverted from landfill.
Any unsold food is sent off for anaerobic digestion, with food broken down to produce biogas and bio-fertiliser.
As part of the Too Good To Go trial, Magic Bags of food will be available to rescue for just a third of the cost at £3.29 – with an original value of £10 or more.
Simon Eastwood, Southern Co-op’s Chief Operating Officer for Retail, said:
“The initiatives relating to best before dates will be rolled out over the summer.
“As we are mainly convenience stores, it hasn’t been beneficial for charities to collect food from our stores in the past.
“The amount and type of food at the end of the day is often unreliable.
On some days it could be a few bread products but on other days it could be a range of fruit, veg or pasta.
“However, thanks to our partner Neighbourly, charities and local community groups can now find out what products our stores can donate before they leave their base, which makes a big difference and will help to make it a success.”
At the end of each day, the store notifies a local connected good cause through Neighbourly about which food and drink items are available to collect.
If the charity is unable to pick up, then it is offered to a second linked local cause.
The Co-operative Food stores in Berkshire which will be rolling out these new initiatives are: Binfield’s Forest Road, Lambourn’s High Street, Newbury’s Brummell Road, Newbury’s Pound Street, Windsor’s Arthur Road, and Wokingham’s Market Place.
Southern Co-op is currently working towards ambitious science-based targets to cut direct and indirect greenhouse gas emissions from the business by 2030, supported by a climate action pathway of planned activity and an initial investment of £5.8m.
To view Southern Co-op’s long-term strategy including its commitment to climate change and responsible business, visit www.thesouthernco-operative.co.uk/our-plan.
Or for more information on Too Good To Go visit www.to goodtogo.co.uk.
