A major British supermarket is set to give away food for free as the retailer pledges to hit targets for slashing food waste and net zero goals.
Tesco has announced that any food items about to go out of date will be available for absolutely no cost – preferring them to go home with a customer than end up in the bin.
The initiative, featuring yellow stickers, will be tested in a small number of Express stores for customers visiting after 9.30am.
At present Tesco gives unsold food to charities – and this will continue, while staff will also get priority on items that have been reduced earlier in the day.
Typically food items bearing a yellow sticker have a 90% reduction.
But any such items in the run-up to closing time will be available for customers to take home for free.
Tesco said the move would allow it to ‘continue with our drive to reduce food waste within our own operations’, according to an internal memo, The Telegraph reports.
On its website, Tesco said that its aims to be ‘carbon neutral’ by 2035 and net zero by 2050.
Tesco has announced that any food items about to go out of date will be available for absolutely no cost – preferring them to go home with a customer than end up in the bin
Tesco said the move would allow it to ‘continue with our drive to reduce food waste within our own operations’
Typically food items bearing a yellow sticker have a 90% reduction. But any such items in the run-up to closing time will be available for customers to take home for free
In 2023/24, the supermarket achieved a 61% reduction of absolute emissions from its operations compared to 2015, which exceeded its 2025 target of 60%.
A statement said: ‘We’ve done this by using energy and refrigeration more efficiently, and by adopting 100% renewable electricity across the Group.’
A spokesman for the supermarket said: ‘We are constantly looking for innovative new ways to reduce food waste.
‘This trial, in a small number of our Express stores, will allow customers to take any remaining yellow stickered items for free at the end of the day, after they have first been offered to charities and colleagues.’
