Retailer M&S is to provide surplus food from its stores to charities as part of its aim to reduce food waste by 20% by 2020.
In the initial launch phase, 150 of M&S’s biggest stores will redistribute food from December, with all M&S owned stores doing it by Spring 2016.
M&S is working in partnership with Neighbourly, the social network for social good, to deliver the scheme through the latter’s website.
Charities will be able to register here to receive food from their local M&S store for redistribution.
M&S will also be the first retailer to provide live updates on the number of tonnes of surplus food redistributed.
M&S head of responsible sourcing, packaging & Plan A Louise Nicholls said: “Our key priority is to reduce food waste while ensuring that, where there is food surplus, we put it to the best possible use.
“This is the first nationwide redistribution scheme to provide an innovative, practical solution to surplus food redistribution by building local connections, enabling all our stores to link with local food projects and help support their communities.
“Our ambition is that this, alongside the work we are doing with our suppliers, will accelerate us towards our Plan A target of reducing food waste in our stores by 20% by 2020.”
