Food volumes can be unpredictable. Sometimes there's more than you can carry, and sometimes more than you can give away.
❗️ Your priority should always be to share as widely as possible with your community via the Olio app.
📦 What to expect from your collection
How much food will I pick up?
It varies. The amount depends on things like store sales and how much surplus is available, and you're collecting unsold surplus, so it changes day to day. When you join a squad, it's worth asking your fellow Food Waste Heroes in the group chat about their experience at that store.
Do I have to collect all the food offered?
No. Your safety and your capacity to share are what matter, so only take what you can safely manage and distribute. If you need a hand, ask for backup in your Squad Chat.
Can I refuse food past its Use By date or of poor quality?
Yes. You should reject anything past its Use By date or showing visible signs of spoilage or damage. Your safety and recipients' safety come first. Report it through "Report an Issue" on My Collection Slots in the Volunteer Hub.
Can I refuse food based on my religious beliefs or dietary requirements?
No. With so many volunteers collecting all food types, refusing certain food would lead to avoidable waste, and we can't predict what you'll be asked to collect. We do try to support volunteers who are vegan, for example, but collection slots will be removed if food is being refused.
We'd recommend looking for collection sites where such food won't come up (for example a vegan store).
Can I ask the business to split the food more fairly?
No. Surplus is distributed based on its Best Before or Use By date, and businesses may not be able to spread it evenly across the week. Collection sizes aren't guaranteed.
🛒 If there's more food than you can take
If a collection turns out bigger than you can safely transport, store, and share:
🧊 Prioritise Use By items. The store may be willing to hold some Best Before items for the next day, when another Food Waste Hero can collect them.
📦 If it's more than you can manage, it's fine to leave some behind. Just let the store staff know.
💬 Use your Squad Chat to ask for help. Let your team know there's extra food, someone may be able to collect the rest.
🔁 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.
♻️ Surplus you couldn't share after the collection
This relates to any surplus you haven't managed to redistribute after your collection, except for your 10% personal allowance. Your first step should always be to keep sharing widely on Olio. If there's still food left over, what you do next depends on whether it's still in date.
✅ If the food is still within its Use By or Best Before date
Donate to a charity. Surplus can go to charities and organisations like food banks and soup kitchens locally. Once connected with a food bank, show them Olio and encourage them to request your surplus items directly from the app.
Feed it to your pets. A planet-friendly way to make sure nothing goes to waste. Note there are strict UK rules on feeding pet pigs or piglets, so please read up first.
❌ If the food is past its Use By date
It's illegal to give food away past its Use By date, so anything past its allowed redistribution window on Olio must not be shared on Olio or any other platform. Instead:
Turn it into compost. Composting keeps food out of landfill, prevents methane emissions, and creates nutrient-rich soil, great for your garden or indoor plants. MakeSoil is a nonprofit platform that connects you with backyard composters (Soil Makers) nearby. Search at Makesoil.org (http://Makesoil.org) to find someone accepting food scraps, become a Soil Maker yourself, and follow the scrap guidelines they share.
Help produce renewable energy. Some commercial waste services turn food waste into renewable energy. Contact your local council to see what's available.
🐮 Can I donate surplus food to local farms as animal feed?
No. In the UK you can't give any surplus food as animal feed unless you're registered as a feed business, and Olio is not. So Food Waste Heroes can't use unclaimed food to feed animals (other than their own pets, or another individual's pets) unless they register with their local authorities first. That means no donating to animal shelters, farms, petting zoos, or other animal organisations, and no sharing food on Olio or elsewhere described as "for animal feed."
🧊 Can I freeze any surplus food?
Yes. Please refer to our guidelines for freezing food
🗑️ Can I use my regular bin for food that's no longer safe to eat?
Yes, and without worrying about commercial waste fees. Based on guidance from DEFRA and the Environmental Protection Act 1990, unclaimed food that can't be redistributed counts as household waste when collected from your home address. Since your home isn't used wholly or mainly for commercial purposes, waste from your volunteering isn't commercial waste, so it isn't subject to extra removal costs. If your local council contacts you with a warning, tap "Report an Issue" in My Collection Slots on the Volunteer Hub so we can help.
🍞 What should I do with surplus bread?
Collections can sometimes be full of bread, which can be hard to share on the app. If you're struggling, why not turn it into something new?
BBC Good Food, leftover bread recipes
The Guardian, 20 recipe ideas for leftover bread
📚 Sources
Supplying surplus food and co-products as feed (https://www.businesscompanion.info/en/quick-guides/animals-and-agriculture/supplying-surplus-food-and-co-products-as-feed)
The Animal By-Products (Enforcement) (England) Regulations 2011 (https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2011/881/pdfs/uksi_20110881_en.pdf)
Gov.uk, supplying and using animal by-products as farm animal feed (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/supplying-and-using-animal-by-products-as-farm-animal-feed)
Keeping pigs as pets informational poster (http://apha.defra.gov.uk/documents/surveillance/diseases/african-swine-fever-poster.pdf)