Tesco, the UK’s largest supermarket, is testing a new program to give away food nearing its expiration date for free. In select Express stores, discounted “yellow sticker” items will be free after 9:30 PM if charities and staff do not take them first. This is part of Tesco’s goal to cut food waste in half by 2025. The company originally claimed a 45% reduction since 2017 but later corrected this to 18% due to reporting errors. With food prices rising and millions in the UK facing food insecurity, the initiative aims to help both the environment and struggling households.

While the idea is promising, its success depends on customer participation, and limiting it to small Express stores may reduce its overall impact. Other supermarkets use different food waste strategies, showing there is no clear best solution yet.

Originally published by: Frances Mao Taken from: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c2er1m2rlr4o