🛍️ Why does Olio collect from Tesco?
Tesco prioritizes donating to charities. When charities aren’t available, Olio Food Waste Heroes step in to rescue surplus food from waste.
If a charity later becomes available, they’ll take over the collection slot, and affected FWHs will be notified in squad chat.
🧾 How do I know if my Tesco store is included?
If you don’t see your local Tesco on the Volunteer Hub, either:
A charity is already collecting, or
All slots have been claimed by other Olioers
Last-minute one-off slots may appear between 7:30 PM–8:30 PM if a charity drops out.
📦 How much food will I collect?
Quantities vary daily. You might get:
A small bag
Several trays of food (Tesco “trays” = green delivery crates)
You’re not expected to accept all food. If there’s too much, or it’s low quality, you can refuse items.
🥫 What kind of food will I get?
Evening collections: Usually include both chilled and ambient items
Morning collections: Mostly ambient (e.g. bakery, fruit & veg)
You might also receive non-food items like flowers or cleaning products.
🕓 What about expiry dates?
Best before items (even from the day before) are fine to share if they look and smell okay
Use-by items must not be shared past their date
If a store repeatedly donates expired or low-quality food, report it using the "Report an issue" button on your collection card, which pulls through the business and store details so we can escalate to our partners.
🚫 Can I ask my local Tesco to join Olio?
No - Tesco collections are managed centrally. Please don’t approach stores directly.
Instead, keep an eye on the Volunteer Hub for new slots and enable notifications.