PepsiCo is expanding a sustainability and employability initiative in Leicestershire, focusing on reducing food waste and creating local jobs. The company is strengthening its partnership with FareShare, a leading UK food redistribution charity, with a £210,000 investment.
The program has two parts: Surplus with Purpose and the Leicestershire Employability Program. The former redirects surplus vegetables from farms to a network of 8,000 charities across the UK, providing an estimated 550,000 meals. The latter focuses on Leicestershire residents, offering job readiness workshops, mentoring, and application support to prepare over 600 individuals for roles in the food and retail industries.
This move reinforces PepsiCo’s sustainability footprint in Leicestershire, home to its Walkers Crisps manufacturing site, and supports its ongoing work with 290 UK farmers to promote regenerative farming. The initiative also contributes to broader efforts to reduce food waste and strengthen local economies through targeted upskilling.
