A major UK retailer is testing a new food giveaway scheme at select stores in a bid to curb wastage and meet net zero targets. Soon-to-be expired items will be handed to customers for free at Tesco Express stores across the country in a new initiative being trialled at a handful of branches. The measures will apply to yellow-sticker products that would otherwise be thrown away. The chain supermarket already hands unsold food to charities after giving staff members first pick of reduced items.

Shoppers will now also be able to pick up free food at the end of its shelf life—but only in the store’s last few hours before closing, after 9.30pm. This will mark a change in policy from the current system, which sees food near the end of its life slapped with a yellow label, cutting its price by 90%.

Tesco has declared a goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2035 and net zero by 2050, including through cutting down on the amount of discarded food by 50%.

Bosses hope that the new scheme allow it to “continue with our drive to reduce food waste within our own operations” according to an internal memo seen by The Telegraph, and cut the amount of food being thrown away at closing times.

Tesco is the UK’s biggest supermarket in revenue terms – putting its total emissions above market competitors as a result. The multinational chain has already taken a number of steps to boost sustainability, including achieving a 61% emissions reduction since 2015.

The corporation is also aiming to have a fully electric fleet of home delivery vehicles in the next five years.

A spokesperson for Tesco said: “We are constantly looking for innovative new ways to reduce food waste. In all our stores we offer unsold surplus food to charities and community groups, donating millions of meals each month.

“This trial, in a small number of our Express stores, will allow customers to take any remaining yellow stickered items for free at the end of the day, after they have first been offered to charities and colleagues.”