Iceland beats target of redistributing 1 million meals and commits to double it

Iceland redistributed the equivalent of more than 1.4 million meals to UK communities between 1^st April and Christmas Eve 2021 – beating its 1 million target three months early.

And by the end of the financial year, on 31^st March 2022, it is aiming to have distributed 2 million meals – double the original target. Each meal is equivalent to 430g of food.

Iceland has provided the meals by partnering with charities which have redistributed surplus food on its behalf.

For example, Manchester-based The Bread-and-Butter Thing redistributed over 45,000 meals from Iceland in nine months up to the end of 2022. Iceland is also working with other charities and social enterprises, including:

• Soul Kitchen Chester
• Shrub Coop, based in Edinburgh
• Community Shop, based across the UK
• City Harvest, based in London
• Shrewsbury Food Hub
• Newtown Food Surplus

Iceland’s ‘Hello Taste, Goodbye Waste’ scheme – allowing store colleagues to take home, free of charge, surplus food at store closing time each day – has also helped redistribute 652,272 meals since the start of April 2021. Colleagues can keep the food, share it with family and friends, or donate it to a community cause.

Iceland is a signatory to the Courtauld 2030 Commitment that enables collaborative action across the entire UK food chain to reduce food waste.