Tesco is set to give free food to shoppers in a bid to cut its food waste.

The supermarket is rolling out "yellow sticker" prices of £0 for food products that are about to go out of date, The Telegraph reported. The grocer's discounts are currently typically limited to 90%.

The company's bosses are trialling the move in a small number of its Express stores for customers visiting after 21:30pm, as part of a trial designed to reduce food waste under its net zero targets.

Although Tesco aims to donate its unsold groceries to charities, some of it has been used to generate gas which can be burned for energy, counting as waste.

In an internal memo viewed by The Telegraph, the grocer said it would still be donating some goods to charities, and that staff would be given priority for its yellow sticker products which had been reduced earlier in the day.

Any food still remaining in stores during the run-up to closing that is marked "Reduced to Clear" will be offered to shoppers for free.

Tesco said it expected its shops to be throwing away fewer products at the end of the day after the changes.

In March 2024, Tesco was among more than 30 food businesses that called for government action to tackle food waste.