Press Release 24th September 2024

Interim results: BILLA has already saved over 10,000 tons of food with customers this year

September 29 is World Food Waste Day. In Austria, more than 900,000 tons of food are thrown away every year - that's the equivalent of 50,000 fully loaded trucks that, if lined up, would create a 750-kilometre-long traffic jam from Vienna to Zurich. Most of this is avoidable waste. Bread, confectionery and baked goods as well as fruit and vegetables are particularly affected. The biggest waster is the private household with a share of 58 percent[1].

Two men unloading a delivery van and placing groceries into a shopping cart in front of a Billa supermarket. One man is handing over a box, and the other is standing with the cart, surrounded by a city street.

BILLA provides charitable organizations throughout Austria with high-quality goods that are approaching their best-before date free of charge. / Copyright: © BILLA AG / Robert Harson, Abdruck zu redaktionellen Zwecken honorarfrei, Reproduction for PR purposes free of charge

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At a glance

BILLA focuses on numerous initiatives and partnerships to save unsold food from disposal
For social institutions: Over 4,350 tons of food donated to local social markets and charitable partners this year
BILLA customers give imperfect food a second chance by purchasing discounted fruit and vegetable bags, as well as “Wunderlinge” (ugly produce)
Not for the trash can: Over 1,000 tons of unsellable baked goods have been processed into high-quality animal feed since April

Harald Mießner, BILLA Sales Board Member: “As a food retailer, our top priority is to handle the resources available to us responsibly. That’s why we continuously work to minimize food waste along the supply chain – whether through precise demand planning in the stores, price reductions for products nearing their expiration dates, or through our close collaboration with charitable organizations, social markets, and other partners. Our customers also help by giving ‘Wunderlinge’ and fruit & vegetable bags a second chance!”

Demand-driven ordering leads to less waste

At BILLA, sustainable resource management starts with ordering. In all BILLA and BILLA PLUS stores, individual order quantities are placed based on forecasts, ensuring that only products that are actually needed are available. If products remain that are close to their expiration date, they are offered at a discounted price. These items are identifiable by “Food is precious” stickers to raise awareness.

BILLA donated over 4,350 tons of food to charitable organizations this year

Every BILLA and BILLA PLUS location cooperates with a charitable organization in their neighborhood, providing them with products close to their expiration date free of charge. Volunteers collect these items from the stores. Through close cooperation, over 4,350 tons of goods have already been rescued this year, benefiting organizations such as Team Österreich Tafel, Caritas, SOMA, as well as smaller groups like Flachgauer Tafel, Pannonische Tafel, the food-sharing initiative, and non-profit organizations like Allesverwerter, Hoffnungsschimmer, and Lebensmittelretter OÖ.

Customers rescued over 2,700 tons of fruit and vegetables in discounted bags

A simple and effective method for saving food has gained significant support among customers for over two years: fruit and vegetables with minor cosmetic defects or no packaging are available in all BILLA and BILLA PLUS stores, depending on availability, in 3.5 kg bags for €3.50. This way, bananas, apples, peppers, and more that are perfectly edible get a second chance. Since the beginning of the year, 2,700 tons of food have been rescued by BILLA together with its customers through this initiative.

Since January, BILLA customers have taken home about 2,000 tons of “Wunderlinge”

For over a decade, the private label “Wunderlinge” has been featured in BILLA and BILLA PLUS markets, bringing fruit and vegetables of excellent quality and crisp freshness to the shelves, despite their unusual appearance. Almost 2,000 tons of “Wunderlinge” have already been sold this year across Austria, landing on plates at home despite their cosmetic flaws.

Over 1,000 tons of baked goods processed into animal feed

Food rescue with a twist: BILLA initiated a new pilot project in April 2024 with the Austrian horse and livestock feed producer KÖNIGSHOFER for repurposing baked goods that can no longer be sold or donated. Since the rollout in all 1,200+ BILLA and BILLA PLUS stores in Austria, over 1,000 tons of baked goods have been transformed into high-quality animal feed, saving them from disposal.

[1] Source: Land schafft Leben: https://www.landschafftleben.at/lebensmittelverschwendung