The Midcounties Co-operative Takes Next Step in Tackling Food Waste Through Partnership With Too Good To Go

The Midcounties Co-operative has taken another step towards its ambition of tackling food waste through a new partnership with the free-to-download anti-food waste app, Too Good To Go.

Through the collaboration, members and customers with the app, which lists nearby businesses with unsold food, can now pick up a ‘Magic Bag’ of discounted food that may have otherwise gone to waste at all 227 of its Your Co-op Food stores.

The ‘Magic Bags’ available in Your Co-op Food stores are available from just £3.33 and contain at least £10’s worth or more of surplus food. Already more than 20,000 bags have been sold since the initiative launched in early October.

The new partnership with Too Good To Go is the next step in the Society’s mission to tackle food waste, and builds on the success of its current scheme which disposes of its food waste via anaerobic digestion.

Rupert Newman, Chief Food Retail Office at The Midcounties Co-operative, said: “Our commitment to help build a more sustainable world remains as strong as ever, and we are always looking for new solutions that help us to deliver this.

We already have an excellent system in place to reduce our food waste and this partnership with Too Good To Go helps us to take that even further. As well as changing how we process food waste, we want to ensure as much as possible is consumed and – coupled with our sophisticated reduce-to-clear pricing model – this new initiative will help us to do just that.”

Paschalis Loucaides, UK Managing Director at Too Good To Go, said: “Tackling climate change has never been more vital. That’s why I’m so thrilled that Too Good To Go has partnered with all of The Midcounties’ 227 Your Co-op Food stores. Food waste accounts for 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions, so by reducing the volume of perfectly good food going to waste together we can take a big bite out of the problem. I’m excited to see the impact our partnership can have in the weeks, months and years ahead.”

Reducing food waste is just one of many areas that The Midcounties Co-operative is tackling to help build a more sustainable future. Earlier this year it launched a soft-plastic recycling scheme in its Food stores and, last year, replaced all single use plastic carrier bags with compostable bags.

The Midcounties Co-operative is one of the leading co-operatives in the UK. For more information about how to become a member please visit the website or ask in your local Your Co-op Food store.