Iwasbroughtup nevertowaste anything

Julie Brown, Sasha Deretana, Tim Moore and Lisa Brooks live in Swadlincote, Derbyshire. They volunteer with Olio, an app that enables individuals and shops to share surplus food

JULIE I saw an ad for Olio volunteers and signed up. I take photos of the food, and put them on the app with a timer to say when they need using up and where to collect them. There are drop boxes around town. It started in Sainsbury’s as part of a food-waste reduction scheme, but now there are boxes in local stores too. Olio has helped me to save money – some weeks I can save £10. SASHA The first thing I shared was beetroot from my garden.

I was curious to see how the app worked, because I was brought up never to waste anything. I’ve realised there’s a community out there that feels the same. What I like about Olio is that it’s not a charity – it’s for everybody. I get a buzz out of picking up a big bag of something that would’ve gone to landfill, and people gladly take wilted salad for their animals. TIM The volunteers and I share recipe ideas and money-saving tips. On the school run I normally bump into someone who has picked something up – people I wouldn’t have known if it wasn’t for Olio. It makes the community feel smaller and very sociable. LISA I got loads of fruit and veg from Olio when my son Luke was weaning. The last thing I picked up was two pumpkins. My husband made pumpkin & ginger soup and pumpkin curry. It’s definitely widened our family’s repertoire of fruit and veg.

We’ve held community street parties trying out some of the food. I went to a pot-luck picnic and took flapjacks with soft fruit that needed using up.

How it works ‘Volunteers ensure things in the drop boxes are disposed of if they’re not collected, and cooked food has to be picked up from people’s houses,’ says Sasha. ‘We keep chilled or frozen products in our fridges and freezers until they are picked up,’ says Julie. Is it right for you? ‘If you volunteer, you need to manage your time well,’ says Julie. ‘People ask if you can drop it at their house, and you can end up running around town. Using the drop boxes makes it easier.’ Find out more Visit olioex.com.