160,000 Meals Saved from Going to Waste via Central Co-op’s Partnership with Too Good To Go

Posted by sam bishop | Published: 26/04/2023

International Stop Food Waste Day encourages everyone to get involved with reducing the impact of food waste, focused on preventing food waste, inspiring others to waste less, and repurposing food within local communities. On this important day, Central Co-op is pleased to announce that it has surpassed 160,000 meals saved from going to waste, thanks to the partnership between Central Co-op and the world’s largest food saving app, Too Good To Go. 
 
This partnership means that Central Co-op's customers and Members can pick up a Magic Bag of discounted food at the end of the day to avoid it going to waste. With the cost of living crisis tightening its grip across the UK, the Society is always happy to provide alternative shopping options while also preventing food wastage.    

Customers and Members with the free Too Good To Go mobile app can search for their local store unsold food and purchase a surprise Magic Bag - priced at £4 but containing at least £12 worth of food - before collecting at the allotted time. 

Sophie Trueman, Country Director UK & IE at Too Good To Go, said: “It’s fantastic to see our partnership with Central Co-op continue to pave the way for a more sustainable future. At Too Good To Go, our mission is to make sure good food is enjoyed, not wasted. Our app users get great meals at a great price, businesses reach new customers and recover sunk costs, and we’re reducing the harmful impact of food waste on our planet – it really is a win-win-win!” 

Central Co-op also works with FareShare Midlands to redistribute food to those who need it as well, as part of its mission to create a sustainable Society for all and prevent food going to waste when it could be used productively. 

The Society continues this commitment to reducing food wastage via refill stations in many of its stores, allowing customers to come and fill their own containers with cereals and water to ensure they only purchase what they need.  

Central Co-op has also invested in the WasteInsight solution from Retail Insight, a company that uses data and analytics to advance performance and value. This solution aims to reduce waste by maximising sell-through and minimising loss. WasteInsight’s work at Central Co-op uses a dynamic markdown model for end-of-life products, helping reduce the waste in landfill while also reducing carbon emissions.    

For further details, head to the Central Co-op website, Facebook, and Twitter. Details on becoming a Member can be found on the Membership site. 

About Central Co-op 

Central Co-op is one of the largest independent retail co-operative societies in the UK, with a heritage stretching back over 175 years and interests in food, funeral, floral and property investment.  

Owned by hundreds of thousands of members, its 7,700 colleagues serve customers across 440 plus trading sites in 21 counties in the East and West Midlands, Yorkshire, Suffolk, Norfolk, Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire.   

Its purpose is to create a sustainable Society for all.   

It actively campaigns for food justice and works with FareShare Midlands and a network of local food banks. It also adds £1 to every Healthy Start Voucher redeemed in store and supports six schools in partnership with Magic Breakfasts. 

The Society embraces inclusivity and equality and is a signed-up member to the Business in the Community (BITC) Race at Work Charter. The Society is also a member of Diversity in Retail and it is fully committed to addressing the impacts of climate change by reducing carbon and food waste, increasing recycling and investment in community Sustainable Spaces funded by the carrier bag levy. It recently launched its Malawi Partnership to support farmers and producers in the country through the Co-operative International Trading Development Fund. 

It invests a percentage of its trading profit into local communities through its Community Dividend Fund scheme which has seen over £109,769.25 shared out between 121 good causes in 2022.

Press office contact: Sam Bishop, PR Specialist  

Contact details:   

sam.bishop@centralengland.coop  

07385 048048