Tesco UK has reported that its Community Food Connection scheme has contributed to around five million meals - supporting more than 3,300 community groups and charities - since its launch in February last year.
The IGD award-winning initiative was launched, in partnership with FoodCloud and FareShare, as part of Tesco UK's corporate strategy to achieve zero food waste by the end of 2017.
Using an app, the scheme connects charitable organisations with available supplies of free 'surplus food' at local Tesco stores, thereby helping to provide free meals for people in need, such as the homeless and the elderly.
Tesco UK CEO, Matt Davies, commented, "It’s great to see the difference the Community Food Connection is making in providing charities and community groups with much needed food that would otherwise go to waste. We know we still have more to do to achieve our target, that no food safe for human consumption goes to waste in our UK operations, but this milestone represents important progress."
The programme is currently operational in around 900 Tesco stores and will be extended to a further 1,800 convenience stores.
© 2017 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Martha Sparrius. To subscribe to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine, click here.
