Southern Co-op starts trial to cut food waste

By David Shrimpton in Industry News 2nd February 2022

A dozen Southern Co-op stores have joined a trial of using the Too Good to Go food app to help sell food near its expiry date that would otherwise go to waste.

The trial, which launched this week, sees stores from Staines and Ealing in West London to Bromley and Sidcup in Kent using the scheme.

It means so-called “Magic Bags” of food are now available at the stores at £3.29, containing food originally priced at £10 or more.

A number of the bags will be available to buy every day on the Too Good to Go app and will be ready to collect from a chosen store between 6.30pm and 8.30pm.

The bags could contain a range of products from sandwiches, pizza, fruits, dairy, baked goods or puddings.

Paschalis Loucaides, managing director at Too Good To Go in the UK, said: “I’m thrilled to have launched this latest pilot with Southern Co-op.

“At Too Good To Go, we dream of a planet with no food waste and together with Southern Co-op we can ensure that perfectly delicious food is eaten and enjoyed.

“I’m excited to see the impact we can have in the fight against food waste in the coming months and years and I know local customers will love rescuing their Southern Co-op Magic Bags.”

Southern Co-op says it is working towards science-based targets to cut direct and indirect greenhouse gas emissions from the business by 2030, supported by detailed plans and an initial investment of £5.8m.

All store waste is currently diverted from landfill, with food sent off for anaerobic digestion to be broken down to produce biogas and bio-fertiliser.