Press Release 24th September 2025

Food Waste Day: BILLA and PENNY have already saved over 10 million meals in 2025

29 September is World Food Waste Day. In Austria, more than 900,000 tonnes of food are thrown away every year – equivalent to 50,000 fully loaded lorries. BILLA, BIPA and PENNY are consistently committed to saving food with a holistic approach: Since the beginning of 2025, goods worth 19 million euros have already been saved – through conscious advance planning in purchasing, targeted cooperation for the reuse of food and customer campaigns. Through systematic monitoring, BILLA and PENNY have been able to support social organisations with the equivalent of 10.8 million meals.

Two women are standing outdoors holding paper bags with leafy greens, wearing branded shirts from Billa and Penny. They are smiling and standing on a pathway with greenery in the background.

BILLA and PENNY saved over 10 million meals in 2025 / Copyright: © REWE Group / Robert Harson, Reproduction for PR purposes free of charge

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At a glance

BILLA, BIPA and PENNY save valuable food through initiatives and partnerships such as the Red Cross's ‘Team Österreich Tafel’ and ‘Die Tafel Österreich’.
BILLA, BIPA and PENNY have donated food worth €19 million since the beginning of the year.
BILLA and PENNY have supported charitable organisations with the equivalent of 10.8 million meals
Flawlessly precious: BILLA and PENNY customers give food with cosmetic flaws a second chance by purchasing reduced-price fruit and vegetable bags and ‘Wunderlingen’

Kai Pataky, Chief Sales Officer at BILLA: ‘As a food retailer, we have a special responsibility when it comes to handling valuable resources. We are therefore constantly working to avoid waste – for example, through precise demand planning, cooperation with social organisations, and campaigns that give our customers an active role in saving food.’

Planning, donating and recycling: BILLA, BIPA and PENNY save food at all stages

BILLA, PENNY and BIPA rely on a consistent combination of demand-driven ordering, price reductions and donations. Based on forecasts, only the quantity that is actually needed is ordered in all stores. If there are still products left over whose best-before date is approaching, they are marked with ‘Food is precious’ stickers so that customers can recognise them and are offered at a reduced price or donated to charitable organisations after the expiration date.

Over 3,300 tonnes of baked goods already processed into animal feed

In addition, since 2024, baked goods that are no longer saleable or donatable have also been recycled in cooperation with the feed producer Königshofer and processed into high-quality animal feed. Since the rollout to all 1,200 BILLA and BILLA PLUS stores in Austria, over 3,300 tonnes of baked goods have been converted into high-quality animal feed – and thus saved from disposal.

Over 4,500 tonnes of food saved – 10.8 million meals for those in need

Since the beginning of the year, BILLA and PENNY, together with social organisations, have already saved over 4,500 tonnes of food – equivalent to 10.8 million meals – and donated it to institutions. In addition to Team Österreich Tafel, Caritas and SOMA, these include smaller institutions such as Flachgauer Tafel, Pannonische Tafel, the Foodsharing initiative and non-profit associations such as Allesverwerter, Hoffnungsschimmer and Lebensmittelretter OÖ.

Niko Karras, Managing Director of Sales at PENNY: ‘Food is a precious commodity. It is therefore important to us to promote appreciation for food in all areas – from merchandise management to our customers' shopping baskets. Only through joint efforts along the entire value chain can we sustainably combat waste.’

Customers give fruit, vegetables and bread a second chance

Customers play a key role in preventing food waste: since the beginning of the year, BILLA and PENNY stores have sold more than 865,000 discounted 3.5-kilogram bags of fruit and vegetables that have minor blemishes or no packaging. Equally successful is the own brand ‘Wunderlinge’, which has been bringing fruit and vegetables to the shelves for more than ten years that may look unusual but are of the highest quality.

In addition, more than 200,000 discounted bags of bread and pastries found new buyers at BILLA, saving further quantities of valuable food from the bin. Since the start of the cooperation, BIPA has already saved over 50,700 surprise bags, with over 18,300 this year alone. This has prevented over 137,100 kg of CO2 emissions.