Lidl rolls out free food collection at 196 UK stores

Lidl GB has announced that 196 of its UK supermarkets will allow customers to collect surplus food for free at the end of each trading day. The expansion builds on a pilot in 20 stores and broadens the retailer's partnership with the social‑impact platform Neighbourly and food‑sharing app Olio.

When local charities cannot make late‑evening collections, Olio volunteers known as “Food Waste Heroes” will retrieve fresh produce, meat, fish, poultry and bakery items that would otherwise be discarded. The pilot prevented about 1,200 kg of waste each week; the nationwide rollout aims to redistribute up to 5,000 tonnes of surplus food annually – roughly 11.9 million meals, or nearly 12 million meals per year once fully operational by the end of 2026.

Georgina Hall, Director of Corporate Affairs at Lidl GB, said the scheme “requires a community effort” and will “empower communities to rescue up to nearly 12 million meals every single year,” helping the most vulnerable across the country.