Retailer Asda has announced an expansion of its ‘back of store’ food donation scheme, which will see the retailer enter into a new three-way partnership with food redistribution charity FareShare and local food sharing app Olio.

According to the retailer, the partnership with Fareshare and Olio will ensure that surplus food, which is just past its best before date but still edible, can be collected from 209 of Asda’s stores when local charity support may not be available. FareShare local food charities will still be prioritised in receiving donations, as Asda aims to double the amount of surplus food redistributed.

FareShare will connect Olio members with their local Asda stores, who in turn share the food with their community free of charge. The addition of Olio as a food redistribution partner is expected to see over 680 donation slots added to Asda’s back of store donation scheme over the coming weeks, helping stores to redistribute food where charities aren’t available to collect and ensuring any surplus food can be donated to those in need.

Kris Comerford, chief commercial officer – food, said: “Redistributing surplus food continues to be a priority for our business, and we are proud to be continuing the progress we’ve made to date.

“Through our continued work with Fareshare, we will continue to prioritise local charities in ensuring they receive food donations first and foremost, while our new partnership with Olio will help us to prevent surplus food from going to waste.

“Increasing the number of donation opportunities and how we work with charity partners means we can provide even more support to local communities – while at the same time reducing food waste.”

The partnership with FareShare and Olio will be across superstores and supermarkets, with a separate programme to be trialled for Asda’s Express convenience sites.

The changes will see Asda continuing the progress made to date in minimising waste, as the business continues to target a 20% reduction in waste by 2025. Asda aims to be a ‘zero waste’ business and currently sends zero waste to landfill.