Yesterday, we looked at the Too Good To Go app, which allows customers to purchase surplus food from shops, restaurants and cafes. Today, we are looking at a different way of minimising the amount of food going to waste with the Olio app.
Olio offers people who have excess or leftover food the opportunity to give it away for free within the local community. Recently, Olio extended its app to include non-food items, too. People can use the app to find local items that otherwise would have gone to waste.
The Idea Behind Olio
Olio was launched in 2015 by Tessa Clarke and Saasha Celestial-One. The idea for the app came about when Clarke moved from Switzerland to the UK. She found herself with a kitchen full of food that she couldn’t take with her. Frustrated by the lack of options for sharing this food, she and Celestial-One created a platform where people could quickly share their excess food with neighbours, preventing it from ending up in landfills. This became Olio, the app that connects people with surplus food to those who need or want it.
How Olio Works
Olio is easy to use. Download the app and create a profile. You can then upload pictures and descriptions of surplus food items you wish to share. This might be fresh produce and pantry staples to baked goods and homemade meals. Alternatively, you can use the app to find food that would otherwise have gone to waste in your local area. You can then contact the person who placed the listing and arrange a pick-up.
Karma Points
Users earn Karma points for doing things that are good for the planet. You earn 50 Karma points every time you give something away in the free section and 30 points every time you pick something up. Users start on red level and work all the way up to rainbow level. Unfortunately at preset there is no way of spending Karma points, although you do get a badge to prove what a good human you are!
Expanding into Buy And Borrow
As well as free food listings, Olio also offers users the chance to buy or borrow items from the local community. Although the primary aim of the app is to prevent food waste, the ability to borrow from neighbours helps to build a sense of community. Communities can share resources, helping to bring people together.
Partnering With Local Businesses
Olio also partners with businesses to help prevent food waste. Many local shops, cafes, and even large supermarkets use Olio to distribute their unsold food. This not only helps these businesses reduce waste and cut costs but also helps people who might be struggling in the local area. The Food Waste Heroes are volunteers who collect surplus food from businesses and redistribute it via the app.
To address some of the stigma around accepting free food, Olio emphasizes the environmental and social benefits of food sharing. Olio emphasises that food sharing is a positive choice rather than a sign of need.
Like Too Good To Go, Olio has made a huge impact in the fight against food waste. It helps to bring together communities and allows people to live more sustainable lives. We highly recommend checking out Olio today and seeing what is available in your local area.
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