These are zero waste schemes that operate across the whole of the UK. (For local zero waste projects, see here.)

Olio is a free sharing app, allowing you to give away or pick up surplus food or stuff.

Community Fridges, where you can drop off or collect surplus food, are expanding across the UK.

Wonky Veg: Some supermarkets, such as Morrisons and Asda, sell wonky veg that was initially rejected for not looking good enough. Riverford Organics deliver boxes of wonky veg to various parts of the UK, and there are also local schemes in London and Leicestershire. 

Brands: Rubies in the Rubble and The Wonky Food Company sell relishes, chutneys and sauces made from surplus veggies including vegan mayo made from a by-product of cooking chickpeas. Snact make fruit snacks from surplus fruit. Chicp make hummus from surplus veg, and Toast brew beer from surplus bread.

The Real Junk Food Project diverts food destined for waste and provides healthy meals in ‘pay as you feel’ cafes across the UK.

Too Good To Go app allows you to order meals from restaurants and cafes at the end of the day that would otherwise have been thrown away.

Volunteers are always needed to collect and redistribute surplus food, so if that’s something you could consider, look up FareShares, Olio or the Community Fridge Network. There are also many local projects across the country – google should be able to help here.

Streetbank is a website allowing you to give stuff away or share things and skills with your neighbours.

Freecycle is a grassroots nonprofit movement of people giving away and getting stuff for free. It keeps good stuff out of landfills. Also check out Freegle, which describes itself as ‘online dating for stuff,’ matching people with things to give away with people who want them.

Repair cafes are a network of free meeting places with tools and materials available to repair anything you need. There are also expert volunteers on hand to help.