Donate Food
How it Works
Why should you donate food?
- It’s a free service and you save on your waste costs. We will collect your surplus food at no cost to you.
- You will attract more customers. Our volunteers and friends are always keen to support the businesses that donate to us. Donating increases the value of your brand.
- Your customers will love that you are reducing waste and donating to community organisations at the same time.
- Donating your surplus food is good for staff morale.
- Donating is EASY! It’s no different to throwing food away. Instead of throwing food into a bin, just throw it into a bag or cardboard box for us to pick up.
How do I donate food?
- Contact us below to discuss the food donation you’d like to make. We’ll give you:
- Information about the foods that Waiwaste does and doesn’t rescue (please also see below)
- Official food donation advice from the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI)
- A Memorandum of Understanding which outlines Waiwaste’s and your responsibilities when donating food.
- Once you’re signed up as a food donor, we’ll arrange a pick-up schedule that suits you. This may be a regular pick-up each day or week, or an ad hoc pick-up when you have food to donate.
- At the arranged time, our volunteers will collect your quality surplus food.
- Donated food is taken to Foodbank in Masterton, where it is checked for quality before distributing through Foodbank parcels and to community groups.
- Food that doesn’t meet our quality standards for passing on to community groups is either fed to animals or composted.
- Food is handled and stored in line with the highest food safety standards throughout the entire process.
What food can be donated?
Food that we can receive:
- Food from regulated food providers
- Fresh produce, even with some bruising/decay
- Chopped fresh produce
- Prepared foods that are excess to requirements
- Frozen or fresh meat
- Dairy products
- Eggs
- Frozen foods
- Pre-packaged foods or meals in original packaging
Food that we cannot receive:
- Any food beyond USE BY
- Any food not fit for human consumption
- Food that is not from a regulated food provider
- Home prepared food
- Food where the packaging has been damaged so that the sanitary seal has been compromised
- Oysters and other high risk seafood
- Anything containing alcohol
- Produce that is completely decayed
How about Food Safety regulations?
It is safe to donate. There are no regulations preventing businesses from donating surplus food. For details, download the New Zealand Food Safety Authority Donated Food Guidance. We are committed to complying with high standards of food safety.
Please note that we can only accept food from licensed food outlets and professionally catered events – not from individual homes.
You can find out more on MPI’s website.
Our regular food donors






Express Lunch Bar & Cafe





