Surplus products retailer Company Shop Group has achieved a milestone of redistributing 1bn items since its launch.

The social enterprise partners with retailers and manufacturers to redistribute food items at a lower price to help communities save on their shopping and tackle food waste.

The Company Shop Group has redistributed 47,000 tonnes of food and drink in the past 12 months, according to the latest Impact Report.

The report also revealed that the organisation has redistributed 117 million units, which has helped save 121,000 tonnes of CO₂.

Chris Burns, MD of Company Shop Group, said: “Each year, the UK produces around 10.7m tonnes of food waste, presenting a potentially catastrophic threat to our planet, contributing significantly to carbon emissions and the unnecessary use of natural resources.

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“Our purpose has always been clear: to stop surplus becoming waste by creating an effective and easy solution for the industry to redistribute surplus at scale.”

The Group found that members shopping at the surplus supermarkets and Community Shop stores have been able to save £137m on their shopping bills.

Burns added: “The last 12 months have been hugely successful for us: we have expanded our network, welcomed new partners, pushed the issue of food waste further up the political agenda and supported thousands more people by launching more Community Shops.”

The Community Shop has partnered with major retailers across the UK, most recently opening a store with Ocado in Sunderland as it marked ten years of collaboration.