ALDI EDINBURGH - FRUITMARKET PLACE

At Tummies Not Trash, we believe good food belongs in tummies, not in the trash. Our volunteer team operates 7 days a week, collecting surplus food from retailers across Edinburgh and redistributing it through our central Hub, helping ensure perfectly good food is eaten rather than wasted. Food collected through our network is made available in a number of ways: Free items, including bread, fruit, vegetables and other short-life produce, are available to all throughout our opening hours. Within the Hub, chilled, frozen and ambient items are also redistributed through our community basket model, with voluntary donations helping to support transport, storage, premises and the ongoing running of the charity. To maximise impact and minimise waste, surplus food from our Hub is also shared daily with partner organisations across Edinburgh, including schools, libraries, lunch clubs and community centres, helping extend the reach of good food into local communities. Everything we do is built around our simple goal: reducing food waste, supporting communities, and making the very most of food that would otherwise go to waste.

The Food Rescue Group, Edinburgh was established by Suyash Mishra, a student at the University of Edinburgh, to address the growing challenges of food waste, climate change, and local food insecurity. In an era defined by environmental strain, resource scarcity, and ecological imbalance, this initiative is both timely and essential. A core focus of our work is tackling food waste, a significant issue that results in the loss of valuable resources and contributes substantially to methane emissions from landfill. Addressing this problem is both an environmental necessity and a moral responsibility, as redistributing surplus food can provide meaningful support to local families and individuals in need. We work closely with local producers and retailers to ensure surplus food is rescued rather than discarded. These partnerships allow businesses to reduce disposal costs while delivering measurable environmental and social benefits to the community. The day-to-day operation of the Food Rescue Group is led and managed by Suyash and Marina, who oversee all aspects of the initiative. This includes coordinating volunteers, organising surplus food collections, communicating with retailers and partner organisations, managing collection schedules, arranging distribution, responding to last-minute changes, and ensuring food reaches recipient locations safely and on time. Their hands-on management helps maintain an efficient, reliable, and community-centred operation across Edinburgh. Our mission is powered by dedicated local volunteers who collect and distribute surplus food shortly after it becomes available. This rapid turnaround ensures freshness, removes the need for storage, and helps maintain high standards of food safety and quality. Every item is carefully inspected, and any food deemed unsuitable is disposed of responsibly to minimise environmental impact. Volunteer coordination is managed through a dedicated WhatsApp group, providing real-time updates on collection times, locations, and available quantities. Suyash and Marina use this system to coordinate volunteers, respond quickly to changing collection requirements, and ensure the smooth running of rescue and redistribution activities. Through this initiative, we are reducing methane emissions and resource waste by diverting surplus food from landfill. Our work supports those in immediate need while remaining open to anyone who values food, sustainability, and responsible consumption. By engaging a broad cross-section of the community, we aim to foster shared ownership of the solution to food waste. As we continue to develop and refine our approach, we are making meaningful progress towards a more sustainable and inclusive future. Join us in Edinburgh and help make a difference, one meal, one volunteer, and one community at a time.

SHRUB Cooperative is an organisation based in Edinburgh. The Food Sharing Hub initiative collects surplus food and redistributes it free of charge to the local community, food provision partners and a network of Edinburgh hostels. The Food Sharing Hub is Scotland’s first rescued food shop. Now located at the Pavilion Cafe and Community Hub, it saves surplus food from supermarkets and small businesses around Edinburgh from an unnecessary fate in the bin. It’s open for everyone. Simply come along to the Food Sharing Hub, fill a basket with food and take it for free or give a donation. How does it happen? To get all of this delicious food on our shelves, it takes a lot of work and a dedicated team of volunteers! ​ Step 1 In the evenings, our collection team travel round all our partner stores on cargo bikes collecting food that the stores haven't managed to sell. Step 2 These collectors then bring the food to a team of volunteers waiting at the Pavilion who sort through it and store it appropriately. This team take some of the food to local hostels on their way home. Step 3 The next morning, a team of volunteers from the Pavilion come in early to arrange the food on the shelves and put aside some food for other partner organisations. Step 4 Our doors open at 10:30am and our shelves are looking full and tidy - all thanks to all these people! We're open 7 days a week from 10:30am til at least 15:30pm -- sometimes longer!