Handling Large Food Collections

We understand that food volumes can sometimes be unpredictable. If you arrive at a store and find more food than you can safely collect, store, or share, here’s what to do:

1. Only take what you can safely manage 🧊📦

We trust our volunteers to use their best judgment. If the collection turns out to be larger than what you can safely transport and store, you can leave some of the food behind (just let the store staff know).

Prioritise collecting Use By items, as the store might be willing to hold some of the Best Before items for the next day, when another Food Waste Hero can collect them.

2. Use your Squad Chat to ask for help 💬🤝

Let your team know there’s extra food—someone might be able to help collect the rest.

3. If this happens regularly, consider a smaller slot 🔁

Use the Collection Size info in the Volunteer Hub to choose a slot that better matches what you can manage.