Tesco to trial giving away expiring food to shoppers

Tesco, one of the largest supermarket chains in the United Kingdom, is set to launch a new initiative aimed at reducing food waste by giving away food that is nearing its expiration date. This trial will allow customers to take home certain items for free at the end of the day, specifically those that have already been marked down with a yellow sticker. The program will be implemented in select smaller Tesco Express stores in the coming months, although the exact locations and start date have not yet been disclosed. Tesco has a history of donating food that is close to expiring to charities and food banks, and this new step is part of their broader goal to significantly reduce food waste. According to a spokesperson for the supermarket, the expiring food will first be offered to charities and store employees before it is made available to customers. This approach ensures that those in need have the first opportunity to benefit from the food that would otherwise go to waste. Tesco holds a substantial share of the UK grocery market, with approximately 27. 8% of the market. The company operates around 3,700 stores in the UK and has an additional 750 locations in other countries. All major supermarket chains in the UK have established partnerships to donate surplus food to charitable organizations. Other leading supermarkets, including Sainsbury's, Asda, Aldi, and Morrisons, have also committed to halving food waste by the year 2030. Aldi has claimed that it has already achieved this goal. While many supermarkets offer significant discounts on food that is about to expire, Tesco's initiative appears to be the first in the UK that allows customers to take the food directly without any cost. The supermarket has set a target to reduce its food waste by 50% this year as part of its commitment to achieving net-zero emissions. Up until February of last year, Tesco had reported a 45% reduction in food waste over the past five years, but they later had to revise that figure down to 18% after discovering that a contractor had been using some of the waste to generate gas for energy. The rising cost of living has made essential food items such as meat, eggs, butter, and cereals more expensive compared to the previous year. Additionally, households are facing increased energy and water bills later this year. In 2022/2023, more than seven million people, or 11% of the UK population, were living in 'food insecure households,' meaning they had to skip meals or go without food for a day due to financial constraints. This represents an increase of two million people from the previous year, according to data from the Department for Work and Pensions. The Trussell Trust, which operates food banks, has reported an influx of over 1. 4 million new users in the past two years. Despite these challenges, Tesco has reported strong business performance, particularly during what they described as their 'biggest ever Christmas,' and they have seen the highest share of the grocery market since 2016. However, their share price experienced a slight decline of 0. 5% on Thursday.