How to get FREE groceries from Tesco using food-waste app Olio

SAVVY shoppers can bag free groceries from Tesco using a food-waste app.

Tesco has partnered with Olio to hand out free food that would otherwise go to waste.

The supermarket initially trialled the scheme in 250 stores, but since last year it has been rolled out to all of its sites across the UK.

The free food is close to its expiry date but Olio is registered with the Food Standards Agency to make sure it is still safe to eat when its collected.

While the groceries are completely free, there is often limited availability and no guarantee what will be on offer.

This is because Tesco hands out surplus food to charities before any spare groceries are given to Olio.

Tesco runs surplus food donations programme, like the Community Food Connection scheme with Fare Share.

All Tesco stores that don't have daily charity collections now have scheduled Olio pick-ups.

The app said that if a charity is able to take on collection days currently assigned to Olio, the charity will take priority.

Volunteers sign up to be Olio food waste heroes, and are assigned a slot to collect surplus food from their local Tesco store.

They then bring it home and list it on the Olio app for their neighbours to collect for free.

Morrisons has been running a similar scheme with the Too Good To Go app, with one mum bagging £25 worth of food for just £3.