East Midlands Railway (EMR) has entered a partnership with Olio, which is a free sharing app and social enterprise, to stop surplus food from going to waste and re-distribute it amongst members of the local community who are in need.

OLIO collects surplus food from local businesses so that it can be shared instead of being thrown away, which can lead to a more sustainable future. It is a surprising fact that in the UK the average family throws away 22% of their weekly shop, which is worth £730 per year.

Food on East Midlands Railway‘s Intercity trains that is near its expiry date will be collected by Olio from the trains at London St Pancras. It will then be listed on the Olio app so that users of the app living nearby and community groups can choose what they want. The selected items can then be re-distributed free to Olio app users by simply picking the items up from an agreed collection point.

Further information about the Olio app can be found on its website at https://olioex.com/about/

Neil Grabham, Customer Services Director at East Midlands Railway, said: “It’s our responsibility to minimise the environmental impact of our services and we work hard to make sure as little food as possible is wasted.

“However, at times there can be surplus items and joining in partnership with Olio is a great way to make sure these foods end up going to those that need them most and not in the bin.”

Alberto, Managing Director of Olio’s Food Waste Heroes Programme, said: “Working with East Midlands Railway on this project is really exciting. We’re incredibly grateful to both their team and Olio’s Food Waste Hero volunteers, who play a crucial role in helping us share food with the local community.

“We’re excited to see Olio adoption continue to grow across the UK travel sector, and hope other operators will follow the example of East Midlands Railway in giving away their surplus food.”