Lidl joins Surplus Saviors: how you could benefit and simple ways to cut food waste at home

Lidl has announced it’s participating in the Surplus Saviors scheme, which allows customers and registered charities to collect surplus food from their stores for free.

It’s part of the supermarket’s effort to cut food waste by 70% over the next five years. Since April 2025, the retailer says it has already reduced waste by around 40%, thanks in part to its existing redistribution network, Feed it Back.

The scheme, which is run in partnership with the Neighbourly, the technology platform based in the UK and Ireland that connects businesses with local charities, food banks, and community groups to facilitate donations of surplus food, products, money, and employee volunteer time. It has resulted in 50 million meals being donated.

What’s the Surplus Saviours programme?

Surplus Saviours was launched by Neighbourly and allows people to collect unsold, near-expiry food from supermarkets in the evenings.

Retailers including Marks & Spencer and Lidl make available fresh, chilled and bakery items that might otherwise be thrown away.

If you take part, you can use the food at home or share it with others in your community, helping cut waste while supporting people who might need a helping hand.

When will Lidl launch it?

Lidl plans to start with a Midlands trial this summer, working with Neighbourly to redistribute more than 5,000 tonnes of surplus food.

14 easy ways you can cut food waste at home

Big supermarket schemes help, but the truth is a lot of food waste happens in our own kitchens. The good news is that a few simple habits can make a big difference.

Here are some easy ways you can waste less food, and often save money too.

1. Check what you already have

Before you head to the shop, take a quick look in your fridge, freezer and cupboards.

You might already have the ingredients for several meals. It also helps you spot anything nearing its use-by date so you can use it first.

2. Plan your meals

When you plan your meals for the week, you’re much less likely to buy food you don’t actually need.

Write a shopping list and try to stick to it. You’ll waste less food and spend less time wondering what to cook each night.

3. Stock up on long-lasting staples

Foods like pasta, rice, lentils, chopped tomatoes and tinned beans last a long time.

Keeping a few of these in the cupboard means you’ll always have the basics for a meal without needing a last-minute takeaway.

4. Use your freezer to your advantage

Your freezer can save a surprising amount of food from the bin.

You can:

• batch cook meals and freeze portions
• freeze bread, milk, cheese and herbs
• freeze leftovers for a busy day when you don’t feel like cooking

5. Understand food date labels

Food labels can be confusing, but knowing the difference can stop you throwing away perfectly good food.

• Use-by dates are about safety, don’t eat food after this date unless it was frozen beforehand.
• Best before dates are about quality, food is often still safe to eat after this.
• Sell-by or display until dates are mainly for shops.

6. Don’t ignore ‘wonky’ fruit and veg

Odd shapes don’t affect taste.

Buying ‘wonky’ fruit and vegetables helps reduce the amount of produce that gets rejected just because it doesn’t look perfect.

7. Try food-sharing apps

Apps like Too Good To Go and Olio make it easy for you to rescue surplus food from cafés, shops and even neighbours.

It’s a simple way to save money while preventing food waste.

8. Cook at home more often

Even swapping a few takeaways or ready meals for homemade dishes each week can help reduce waste.

When you cook at home, you can portion exactly what you need and use ingredients already in your kitchen.

9. Get creative with leftovers

Leftovers don’t have to be boring. You can turn last night’s dinner into soups, stir-fries, sandwiches, wraps, smoothies or stews.

Sometimes the best meals come from simply using what you’ve got.

10. Compost what you can’t eat

Some food waste, like peels, eggshells and cores, is unavoidable.

Composting turns these scraps into nutrient-rich soil instead of sending them to landfill. Many councils also offer food waste collection.

11. Store food the right way

How you store food can make a big difference to how long it lasts.

For example:

• keep herbs like parsley and coriander in water in the fridge
• store apples away from other fruits because they speed up ripening
• keep your fridge temperature below 5°C

12. Rotate your food

A simple trick is the ‘first in, first out’ rule.

Move older items to the front of your fridge or cupboard so you remember to use them first.

13. Try a weekly ‘use-it-up’ meal

Once a week, challenge yourself to cook a meal using whatever is left in the fridge.

It’s a great way to clear out ingredients before they go off, and you might discover a new favourite dish.

14. Cook with flexibility

You don’t always need a strict recipe.

If you’ve got leftover rice, half a courgette and a tin of beans, you can easily turn them into a quick stir-fry or fried rice.

Learning to cook this way helps you use what you already have instead of buying more.