The impact of Food Waste Hero collections (and using a car to collect)
The climate crisis is complicated, with many contributing factors. Is it best to avoid plastic, driving, meat or fast fashion?! One thing we do know is that food waste is the top driver of climate change. This means that if we fix the huge problem of food waste, we can have the greatest impact on fixing climate change - by preventing wasted efforts, energy and resources in all the agriculture, irrigation, land use and other associated activities that go into growing and transporting our food. We’re passionate about providing a solution to end food waste for the food industry - and with your help this can be a reality!
What is the impact of my collection?
In May 2022, the average impact of a FWH listing was as follows:
- It contained 3.7 food items.
- Which means 5.9kg of CO2 emissions are avoided.
- Or the equivalent of taking 20 car miles (32 km) off the road.
- So 4 food items (1 listing) is roughly equivalent to 1.5kg of CO2, and up to 5 miles of car travel.
Do I need a car for my collections?
Most of the time you don't. OLIO is all about encouraging hyper-local communities. We really hope that Food Waste Hero volunteers collect from businesses near their homes - and can walk, cycle or use public transport to make their collections low-impact and sustainable. OLIO, or your Squad Captain will let you know if a car is needed for a collection (i.e airport collections or very large collections).
Is it worth driving for a collection?
This is a difficult question to answer as there are many variables, such as: the amount of items in a collection, the types of items (fresh, bakery, meat, dairy etc.), the distance to the store, and how many OLIOers are nearby. So we would always recommend trying different collections out - if a variety is available.
As a general rule, we’d recommend only driving a 10 mile journey for more than 10 items, to make sure your impact is beneficial.
Our ambition is to have 1 billion OLIOers across the world by 2030! In this scenario, our ‘’hyper-local’’ dream is where local FWHs collect on foot, bike or horse-drawn carriage which would prevent the need for anyone driving.
I want to use my car for my collections, where can I park it?
Large stores will most likely have a car park you can use. Small stores might not have one. Please check for parking before setting off for your first collection.
Can I get reimbursed for gas and/or parking fees?
Unfortunately we don’t reimburse any gas or parking costs - we’d also like to encourage you to walk, cycle, or take public transport like the vast majority of Food Waste Heroes, wherever possible.