UK retailer Tesco has pledged to end edible food waste from its stores by the end of February 2018.
Leftover food will be given to charities or used as animal food or fuel instead of going to waste.
Tesco boss Dave Lewis said in an interview with The Telegraph that food waste has been talked about āfor yearsā.
He said: “Last year we sold 10 million tons [9.1 million tonnes] of food to the British public. But even if our waste is just 0.7% of the food, that’s still 70,000 tons [63,500 tonnes] of food.
āAnd so long as that food is fit for human consumption, Iād much prefer it to go to people than landfill, or animal feed or fuel,ā he added.
Through changing Tescoās social behaviour and ārunning a responsible businessā, Lewis hopes the retailer will be able to reclaim shoppersā trust in the company.
āWhen I joined, there was no trustā, he told the Telegraph. āBut I believe you donāt talk your way out of it, you behave your way out of it.ā
āThat goes a long way in reducing charitiesā bill burdens, so they can spend the money on other things, like the cost of housing two more addicts, or providing much more needed services,ā Lewis said.
Mr Lewis urged other retailers to follow suit, stating:
ā⦠If Tesco can make this work, with all of our different stores across the country, then why canāt everyone?ā
Tesco, along with all other major UK supermarkets, signed the Courtauld Commitment 2025, a voluntary agreement to cut food waste by one fifth within a decade.
āIn retail there will always be some surplus food,ā Lewis said. āNo matter how sophisticated the ordering systems are, it will be impossible to perfectly match the supply and demand for every one of our shops, 365 days a year, when thereās so much volatility.ā