Tesco will become first supermarket to go food waste-free

Tesco will become the first supermarket to go food waste-free, its chief executive has promised.

Dave Lewis, who has been at the head of the chain since 2014, has pledged that leftover food will no longer be thrown away and will instead be handed to charities or used as animal food or fuel.

The company is working with FareShare, the food redistribution organisation, to have the changes implemented by February.

Mr Lewis has said that the waste Tesco produces – up to 70,000 tons of edible food annually – is ‘stark’.

Tesco is working with FareShare, the food redistribution organisation, to have the changes implemented by February (stock photo)

He explained he wants to reclaim shoppers’ trust in the company, through changing Tesco’s social behaviour and ‘running a responsible business’.

‘When I joined, there was no trust’, he told the Telegraph. ‘But I believe you don’t talk your way out of it, you behave your way out of it.

‘Food waste has been talked about for years but if Tesco can make this work, with all of our different stores across the country, then why can’t everybody?’

He added that if food waste is fit for human consumption he would ‘much prefer it to go to people than landfill’.

After initially discounting any surplus stock in store with ‘reduced to clear’ yellow stickers, Tesco now ensures and items which have not been sold by the end of the day are donated to local charities, including pre-schools, women’s refuge centres, rehab clinics and youth centres.

Tesco boss Dave Lewis has said that the waste the company produces – up to 70,000 tons of edible food annually – is ‘stark’ (stock photo)

Tesco boss Dave Lewis has said that the waste the company produces – up to 70,000 tons of edible food annually – is ‘stark’ (stock photo)

Tesco and other supermarkets have also scaled back ‘buy one get one free’ offers that were partly blamed for the increasing amount of food thrown away by consumers.

Over the festive season alone it is estimated that 4.2million Christmas dinners are wasted – the equivalent of 263,000 turkeys, 7.5m mince pies, 740,000 slices of pudding, 17.2m Brussels sprouts, 11.9m carrots and 11.3m roast potatoes.

It comes just days after Leicestershire County Council suggested people should limit themselves to six brussel sprouts.

It caused a storm with critics accused the local authority of acting like a ‘nanny state’ by suggesting ‘officially approved’ portions.

But the council said the ‘Christmas tip’ was simply to cut food waste.

Mr Lewis, pictured, said: ‘When I joined, there was no trust. But I believe you don’t talk your way out of it, you behave your way out of it.'

Mr Lewis, pictured, said: ‘When I joined, there was no trust. But I believe you don’t talk your way out of it, you behave your way out of it.’

The festive season has brought a surge in demand for coloured plastics, which are far harder to recycle than the clear equivalents.

Plastic sweet packaging, mince pie trays and Christmas pudding wrappings are hitting the shelves in hues of gold, red and purple.

But experts say these coloured plastics cannot be recycled to make much apart from garden furniture and pipes. However, clear plastic can be made into clothing and bottles, slashing the chances it will end up being burnt or going to landfill.

Simon Ellin, chief executive of the Recycling Association, said: ‘There is no reason why all of these products could not come in clear plastic, apart from marketing and bling. At this time of year, across various supermarkets, there are a monumental number of colours.’

Supermarkets are adding to the tide of plastic waste and experts say coloured plastics cannot be recycled 

A survey of products from Waitrose, Marks and Spencer, Sainsbury’s and Tesco showed many used coloured and black plastics. Favourites such as Roses, Celebrations, pictured, and Quality Street come in bright plastic tubs, while chocolate selection boxes use black trays to hold the bars.

These are not recycled by many councils because recycling centre machinery cannot detect them.

But a Nestle spokesman said Quality Street packaging had been tested at a recycling facility. 

Mondelez, which owns Roses-maker Cadbury, and Nestle said the polypropylene used to make the tubs that hold the chocolates is widely recycled.

The gruesome impact of plastic 

This porbeagle shark (pictured) became trapped in a piece of plastic packaging, leaving it with deep cuts

This porbeagle shark (pictured) became trapped in a piece of plastic packaging, leaving it with deep cuts

It is a shocking illustration of the damage that plastic waste does to the creatures living in our oceans.

This porbeagle shark became trapped in a piece of plastic packaging, leaving it with deep cuts to its belly and fins.

Fortunately, it was spotted off the coast of Cornwall by a group of fishermen, who hauled the 80lb shark on to their boat and cut away the plastic strap before releasing it back into the sea.

But marine rescue teams say that every week they see animals trapped in large pieces of plastic. Sharks cannot swim backwards so are unable to free themselves when they encounter the plastic waste.

As they swim through it, the plastic forms a collar around their body, which is not painful at first. But as they grow, the plastic cuts into their flesh, causing horrific wounds. The Daily Mail is at the forefront of campaigns to stop plastic pollution poisoning our environment.

The sharks swim through it, the plastic forms a collar around their body, which is not painful at first. But as they grow, the plastic cuts into their flesh

The sharks swim through it, the plastic forms a collar around their body, which is not painful at first. But as they grow, the plastic cuts into their flesh

The 5ft porbeagle was spotted by friends out shark fishing with St Ives Fishing Trips close to Land’s End on Wednesday.

Sam Narbett, owner of St Ives Fishing Trips, said: ‘We could see the plastic right around the fish, right under its skin and right around its gills. It was like a box strap – the tough plastic you get wrapped around pallets.

‘That fish probably would have died because it would have got infected eventually.’  



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