What is OLIO?

OLIO is a free app that connects neighbours with each other and with local independent shops so that surplus food can be shared, not thrown away.

What food can I add on OLIO?

OLIO is for anything edible, no matter if loose, raw, cooked, opened, unopened… etc. If it’s food you would eat, then it’s okay for OLIO. For example, see what food was added on OLIO last week.

I’ve had a quick play with Olio. There’s nothing up near me in Oldham but a good few things in London. Some strange things like a packet of beef and wine ravioli, but some other interesting things like lots of UHT whipped cream.

Worth a look if you frequently have food you want to get rid of but are loath to throw it in the bin. Would be perfect for anyone dealing with a glut of tree fruit in the garden!

It’s free and available on various platforms, but not as a desktop app yet!

The free app connects gardeners with each other, their neighbours and with local independent shops and cafes so surplus food can be shared – either for sale or for free – not thrown away. This could include spare vegetables from the allotment, cakes from an amateur baker or groceries from household fridges.

With OLIO, keen gardeners can simply snap a picture of their produce and add it to the OLIO app for a neighbour to collect from an agreed location.

Why? Because the social, economic and environmental case for action against food waste is compelling. Globally, a third of all food produced is wasted, and in the UK, households – which are responsible for half of all food waste – collectively bin over £12.5bn of edible food per year, at a cost of £700 to the average family.