Are you looking for a way to combat food waste and food insecurity in your everyday life? As part of our Food theme for May, we're recommending you use OLIO to pass on food you don't need, and take it off others' hands, for free!
What is OLIO?
OLIO is a mobile app that connects neighbours with each other and with local businesses through the free sharing of surplus food and household items. This could be food nearing its sell-by date in local stores, spare home-grown vegetables, or the groceries in your fridge when you go away.
The aim of OLIO is to “help create a world in which nothing of value goes to waste, and every single person has enough to eat – without destroying our planet in the process”.
First launched in 2015 by Tessa Clarke and Saasha Celestial-One, OLIO has already had such a phenomenal impact against food waste and food insecurity:
3,490,643 users have joined the app
16,830,484 portions of food have been shared
2,514,122,027 litres of water saved
49,420,629 equivalent car miles saved
59 countries have active users
OLIO is particularly active within Manchester and the Want Not Waste community - there are tons of local people looking to give things away, and anything you put on is sure to be snapped up quickly!
How does it work?
How to share:
If you have surplus food or household items that you would like to give away, follow these steps.
1. Add items to OLIO. It's as easy as snapping a photo, and setting the pickup location – home, a safe space, or somewhere public.
2. Choose who to share with. Keep an eye on your notifications to see when you have a request. Check out potential recipients' profiles, verifications and star ratings.
3. Happy sharing! Feel amazing knowing you’ve helped save the planet and made a neighbour’s day!
How to request:
If you want to find surplus food or household items for your own consumption, follow these steps.
1. Browse listings in the area. You can get notifications when new things are added, see where they are and view the user’s profile.
2. Send a friendly message requesting a listing, if you see something you like.
3. Happy sharing! Show up at the agreed place and time. Feel great knowing you’ve scored something free and saved it from landfill!
Note: Make sure to check their website to confirm what food and non-food items you can and cannot share within their guidelines and COVID restrictions.
So, there you have it! Using OLIO is super easy, and you get free stuff while saving the planet! What are you waiting for?
Author: Nieve
Sources:
The Guardian article “Recycle the Weetabix! What I learned from a month on the app that tackles food waste” – Wolfson, 2018
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