Donating surplus food as a business

As a hospitality or food retail store in the Illawarra, you are a key player in the food system of our region.

Your business can transform our food system

Mandates around food waste are coming for NSW businesses in 2026, so you have an opportunity not only to get ahead of food waste regulations now, but to ensure your business is a strong example of sustainability and community support in the Illawarra.

Did you know that you’re also not liable for the food you donate in good faith? The Civil Liability Act 2002 (NSW) protects businesses and individuals who donate food in good faith, provided a few simple conditions are met. Under the Act, you are protected from civil liability if:

  • The food is donated for a charitable or benevolent purpose (e.g. to a charity or not-for-profit).
  • The food is given without receiving a payment or benefit.
  • The food is safe to eat at the time it leaves your possession.
  • You provide information to the recipient to keep the food safe (e.g. storage, handling, or expiry timeframes).

*This means you can’t be sued if someone becomes ill after consuming food you donated in good faith, for free, and in a safe condition. Read more about it from the Food Authority.

Food Donation Legislation NSW
“I once met a young man who avoided mental health services for years due to childhood trauma. Over shared meals, conversations when providing a bag or groceries, and laughter about odd-looking fruits, he built the trust and capacity to seek help. He has now engaged in eight solid months of mental health support, improving his health, housing stability, and overall wellbeing.” Ash Castro, Warrawong Residents’ Forum

Did you know that food businesses in NSW throw away over 30% of their food?

We know you see it every day in your business: food waste costing you in ingredients, staff time, and collection fees.

At the same time, over one third of Illawarra households are experiencing food insecurity (Let’s Talk About Food, 2024). Donating your edible surplus does more than just feed people. Food relief is often a soft entry point for service providers to build trust and relationships with clients, opening the door to referrals that help address complex issues like homelessness, mental health, and employment assistance.

Get involved

Why donate?

  • Boosts staff morale and increases customer engagement
  • Helps people and the planet
  • Decreases waste costs
  • Gets your business ahead of upcoming waste regulations in NSW
  • It’s legally protected
Guide to Donating Food

What food can I donate?

  • Surplus retail stock (meat, canned goods, pantry items, eggs, fruit & veg)
  • Container meals (pastas, stews, curries, meat & veg)
  • Blemished/imperfect produce
  • Products close to their use-by date
  • Products close to or past their best before date
  • Products with incorrect, damaged, or no labelling/damaged packaging
  • Leftover unused food not served to customers (salads, sandwiches, cakes etc)
  • Farm produce that doesn’t meet cosmetic/size criteria set by supermarkets

Who can I donate to?

For Smaller Donations – Collections available:

  • Lifeline South Coast (Wollongong CBD) – can collect within 15km radius
  • Vinnies (Coniston) – Tuesdays and Fridays, Wollongong and immediate surrounds
  • Wollongong Homeless Hub (Unanderra)
  • Assist Shellharbour – Mon before 3pm, Thu before 5pm, Fri mornings. *Delivery preferred for larger quantities (Lake Illawarra)

 

Drop-off required:

  • Warrawong Residents’ Forum (Warrawong)
  • Women Illawarra (Wollongong) — packaged pantry items only
  • Assist Shellharbour (Lake Illawarra)
  • Vinnies (Coniston) — Mon, Wed, Thu; or if outside Wollongong suburbs

 

For Larger Donations:

If you’re a primary producer or retail food store with larger amounts of surplus food, you may be a perfect candidate for pick-ups by one of our food rescue partners:

  • OzHarvest
  • SecondBite

Begin donating right now by joining the Illawarra Food Donations WhatsApp group.

We know that, as a business, you don’t plan for surplus food to happen every day.

That’s why we created the Illawarra Food Donations WhatsApp group, a simple way to connect you to local food relief agencies who can collect your surplus.

How it works:

  • Food business staff send a message when you have leftover edible food/stock
  • Food relief agencies can respond if they’re interested and directly arrange collection
  • Good food stays out of landfill and supports your local community

(Would you like to share this group with the food business you work at? Download this QR code poster and pin it up in a central location so staff can easily post leftover edible food on shift).

Join the group

Interested in donating your surplus?

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