Food Waste Hero: maximum collection slots

At Olio, we want to:

• Ensure that all food collected by Food Waste Heroes is stored and redistributed safely 
• Maximise the number of households that benefit from this food
• Allow as many people as possible to take part in Food Waste Hero collections 

Note: Prior to December 2024, we had more complex rules in place. For more context on the decision to simplify slot limits please see here.

How often can I collect as a Food Waste Hero?

Food Waste Heroes can have a maximum of 3 collections taking place on any given date. 

The 3 collections can be any type (e.g. ongoing or one-off).

If you try to claim more than 3 collections on a given date you will receive an error message, like the below:

If you want to claim multiple collections on the same day, please check the travel time between locations and make sure that you only claim additional collections if you can attend all the collections on time.

How does Olio ensure Food Waste Heroes can safely store 3 collections on the same day?

It’s important that Food Waste Heroes follow our food safety procedures on storing and re-distributing food. This applies to all collections (whether it’s your first or third of the day!).

When you try to claim a collection on a date where you already have at least one collection, you will be asked to confirm you have sufficient space in your home to store the additional collection before being able to claim it. Please only claim additional collections if you know you can safely store the food from all the collections.

Food Waste Heroes who don’t follow our food safety procedures will receive a warning or ban according to our food safety guidelines.

Can 2 people in the same household collect on the same day?

Food Waste Heroes living in the same household are permitted to have collections on the same day, as long as they can store and redistribute all the food safely.

Note: This is a change in policy as of December 2024 - To understand the reason for the change, please read here.

Does Olio set the same collection slot limits in rural and urban areas?

To keep the slot limit rules as simple as possible, we only have one rule across all areas. We will revisit this in the future if/when necessary. 

Can I ask a Food Waste Hero to drop one or more of their collection slots in favour of another FWH without slots?

No, we kindly ask our Food Waste Heroes and Squad Captains not to pressure any FWH to drop their collection slots.

What should I do if I believe a FWH is breaking Olio’s guidelines?

If you believe a FWH is breaking any Olio's guidelines, please just reach out to the Customer Satisfaction team by submitting an Issue Report Form on the Volunteer Hub (found in Documents or via My Collections), and we will investigate the matter.