Help reduce food waste with these clever hacks

06 February 2024 , 03:18

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Reducing food waste is good for the planet and saves you money (Image: Getty)

Did you know around a third of all the food produced around the world ends up going to waste?

This isn’t just bad for our pockets, it’s also bad for the planet. Not only is the food itself wasted, but all the water, resources and energy used to make it is wasted too.

That’s why Tesco is working hard to reduce food waste both in their stores and in our homes, helping to both save money and protect the environment.

Since 2009, in the UK Tesco has sent no food to landfill, and in 2013 the retailer became the first to publicly report on food waste.

The supermarket is working hard to meet its ambition of halving food waste across its own operations by 2025, which means finding ways to cut down on waste well before our shopping bags make it through the front door.

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Working closely with farmers and suppliers means Tesco can monitor and manage bumper crops.

During the heatwave last summer, kilo boxes of fresh strawberries and cherries filled Tesco shelves, avoiding unnecessary waste on farms and giving great value to customers.

Tesco is helping families reduce food waste with new initiatives (Getty)

Then there’s the Perfectly Imperfect range which embraces ‘wonky’ fruit and veg, fresh produce that’s just as tasty as others, just a little more misshapen.

On the shelves, Tesco has swapped ‘use by’ for ‘best before’ dates on many own brand dairy products, allowing customers to use their own judgement and save good food from being thrown away.

Meanwhile, ‘best before’ dates have been completely removed from a range of fruits and vegetables to also help customers reduce food waste at home.

You’ll also never spot buy one get one free deals on the most perishable items such as salads that are unlikely to get eaten in time.

Finally, ‘reduced to clear’ aisles have been replaced with ‘Reduced in Price, Just as Nice’ areas in over 300 stores, with clear signage to help customers seek out yellow-stickered items.

To find out more, visit tesco.com/reduce-food-waste

George Gaston