Tesco is set to revolutionise its approach to food waste by offering “yellow sticker” items for free in a bold new initiative.
The well-known “yellow sticker” discounts, which signal imminent expiry dates with price reductions of up to 90%, are undergoing a significant overhaul. In an experimental move at select Tesco Express outlets, the supermarket giant will drop the price of “yellow sticker” goods to £0 if they remain unsold post-9.30pm.
While a portion of the food will still be allocated to charitable causes and Tesco staff will have first dibs on these discounted products, any surplus stock lingering as store closing time approaches will be up for grabs at no cost to customers. This strategy not only aims to curb food wastage but also assists Tesco in achieving its ambitious zero waste objectives.
A spokesperson for Tesco commented: “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.”
Tesco has set itself a bold target to slash its food waste in half by 2025, with ambitions to achieve “carbon neutral” status by 2035 followed by net zero by the mid-century. Amid these sustainability efforts, Tesco CEO Ken Murphy finds his bonus scheme entwined with the supermarket’s performance on reducing food waste, reports the Mirror.
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This focus comes on the heels of Tesco severing links with a food waste handler last year upon learning that surplus food, believed to be used for animal feed, was instead generating energy.
Subsequently, Tesco had to amend their food waste figures from 45% cut down from 2016-2023 to a more modest 18%. In a separate issue, Tesco recently apologised to its customers following the decision to discontinue their six pint milk bottles across UK stores, a move that left some shoppers confused and disappointed.
A concerned patron took to Twitter asking, “Can I ask @Tesco why you don’t sell the six pints of milk anymore? Certainly not home delivery.”
In response, the retailer replied: “Good afternoon, thanks for getting in touch. Tesco British Whole Milk 3.408L, 6 Pints has been discontinued. I’m sorry for any disappointment.”
The step to remove the six-pint option came into effect in 2023 and was part of an initiative to reduce excess stock ending up as waste, Tesco explained. The spokesperson added: “We phased out six-pint bottles of milk back in 2023 to reduce wastage, as there were higher levels of waste on that product size.”
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