Overview
FareShare is the UK’s leading charity tackling food waste and hunger by redistributing surplus food to over 8,000 charities and community groups. In response to food insecurity and edible food waste, FareShare launched the FLEX (Food Life Extension) Programme initiative, that transforms surplus food into long-life, nutritious meals.
Working in partnership with McDonald’s and Lamb Weston (donating surplus ingredients), Martin Brower(transport of donated ingredients) and WeCanFoods (providing manufacturing expertise), the FLEX Programme developed a shelf-stable, canned meals using surplus fries and pork patties. These meals were distributed nationwide through FareShare’s existing network, reducing waste while feeding communities in need.
The FLEX Range
Three nutritious canned meals were created:
- Pork & Potato Mash – A hearty, protein-rich meal
- Potato & Bean Soup – A vegetarian plant-based, high-fibre option
- Potato Soup – A simple, home comforting flavour
Each product has a shelf life of up to three years, making them ideal for charities managing unpredictable food donations.
Programme Goals
The FLEX Programme has four core aims:
- Reduce Food Waste Redirect surplus food, such as McDonald’s fries and pork patties away from waste or anaerobic digestion and into the food system.
- Create Long-Life Products Develop nutritious meals with extended shelf life to ensure year-round availability for people facing food insecurity.
- Design for Scale Using a scalable manufacturing method, like canning, to create a repeatable model that can grow and adapt to new surplus donations.
- Enable Cross-Sector Collaboration Build partnerships across industries foodservice, manufacturing and charity sectors—to create a more sustainable and impactful solutions.
Key Achievements
1. Environmental Impact
The FLEX Programme has delivered measurable sustainability outcomes:
- Diverted significant quantities of surplus McDonald’s food from waste streams
- Prevented 95.07 tonnes of CO₂e emissions
- Saved 135.7 million litres of water
These figures demonstrate how surplus food, when repurposed can contributes to both social and environmental progress.
2. Innovative Product Development
By using surplus ingredients to create ready-to-eat meals, FLEX proves that NPD can be developed from items previously considered as waste. The range of 3 soup/meal lines help provide flexible options for distribution, especially during times when food donation is low.
3. Community Reach
In the UK:
- 1 in 7 people, including 3 million children, face food insecurity
- 4.6 million tonnes of edible food are wasted annually
FLEX has already produced and distributed over 381,000 meals, with a target of exceeding 500,000 mealsfrom surplus fries alone. These meals are a lifeline for communities experiencing food poverty.
4. Scalable, Replicable Model
The FLEX framework is designed for growth. Plans are underway to:
- Apply the approach to other surplus foods
- Engage with more food businesses and manufacturers
- Develop new meals that meet the diverse dietary needs of the community
By demonstrating a successful circular economy model, FLEX offers a blueprint that can be adopted across different food sectors across the UK and globally.
Looking Ahead
The FLEX Programme represents a long-term solution to food waste and hunger. Future developments include:
- Widening partnerships to capture more surplus ingredients
- Expanding product lines for greater nutritional and dietary needs
- Improving logistics for a lower-carbon supply chain
- Enhancing packaging with more recyclable and low-impact materials
With its proven impact and growth, FLEX is changing how we think about surplus food transforming it from a waste issue into a sustainable solution for feeding those most in need.
Conclusion
FareShare’s FLEX Programme represents how collaboration, innovation and sustainability can come together to create meaningful change. By extending the life of surplus food, it addresses both the environmental and social challenges of feeding communities whilst reducing waste. It is a model for others to follow in building a more greener and resilient food system.
