Environmental Services team takes home national award!
We are incredibly proud to say that our partnership project - Olio • Share More, Waste Less - was this week named Winner of the Public/Private Partnership award at the LGC Awards 2025!
Congratulations to our Environmental Services team; this is a much deserved award for a fantastic project that started in South Derbyshire and now spans the country and beyond.
What is the Share More, Waste Less project?
This recognition celebrates our pioneering collaboration with Olio to develop processes for the safe collection and redistribution of food. This project aligns with the Council’s priority to reduce waste and become carbon neutral.
What began as a pilot project in Swadlincote has grown into a national ‘Food Waste Heroes’ initiative, with trained volunteers collecting surplus food from thousands of locations in the UK every day, such as supermarkets, restaurants and caterers, which is then shared through the local sharing APP ‘Olio’. This helps to combat the staggering global issue of one-third of all food being wasted.
‘From small acorns’, this initiative grew into a groundbreaking partnership, with the Council’s Environmental Health Officers providing assured advice so that Olio’s food redistribution process is fully compliant with the law. This involved navigating a complex regulatory landscape with creativity and resourcefulness to ensure food safety while tackling food waste.
Olio’s trained volunteer Food Waste Heroes now collect surplus food from 8,000 locations weekly, supporting businesses, communities, and sustainability efforts; so far they have redistributed more than 100 million meals!
This prestigious award is a testament to our team’s talent, dedication, and innovation - a huge thanks and big congratulations to everyone involved.
13 June 2025