Aldi has made reservations for its Too Good To Go bags available earlier in a bid to give shoppers greater flexibility during the festive season.

Customers will now be able to reserve a surprise bag from the supermarket chain through the Too Good To Go app up to five days in advance, allowing bags for Christmas Eve to be available to order from 19 December for collection, while bags to collect on New Year’s Eve can be ordered from 27 December.

The ‘Surprise Bags’ cost £3.30 each and contain a minimum of £10 worth of surplus food approaching its sell-by or use-by date.

Aldi national sustainability director Luke Emery said: “We’re making our Too Good To Go bags even more accessible this Christmas and New Year.”

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“By allowing customers to reserve their bags earlier than ever, we hope to provide even more people with affordable items that also help to reduce food waste.

“This partnership continues to play a vital role in supporting our sustainability goals, and it has been incredible to see how many customers now regularly use the service.”

Too Good To Go country director Sophie Trueman said: “We’re delighted to help Aldi and its customers save even more food from going to waste across this seasonal period.

“Not only does our win-win-win solution support Aldi in tackling surplus food, but it also enables customers to enjoy products at great value for money, all while making a positive impact on the planet.”

Aldi’s partnership with Too Good To Go is supported by its initiative with food re-distribution platform Neighbourly. The scheme is expected to donate more than one million meals to local charities and foodbanks across the UK over the festive period.