Tesco's Perfectly Imperfect food waste-saving initiative has saved 50 million packs of fruit and vegetables in five years, the retailer has revealed.
The scheme was launched as a way of offering customers wonky food at risk of becoming waste. The produce is just as fresh and tasty as regular fruit and veg, but is misshapen.
Since launch, customers have purchased 50 million packs of the Perfectly Imperfect range, saving 44,000 tonnes of fruit and veg at risk of going to waste.
The most popular items have been potatoes (12,600t saved), carrots (10,500t), apples (8,700t), strawberries (8,200t) and parsnips (1,700t).
Expanded range
Perfectly Imperfect launched with just two products - parsnips and potatoes - and now includes 12 different types of fruit and veg, including strawberries, leeks, carrots, lettuce, apples and cauliflowers.
The range changes seasonally to take and sell any surplus fruit and vegetables that are available. Different products move in and out of the range as surplus of wonky produce becomes available.
Tony McElroy, head of food waste reduction at Tesco, said: “With COP26 and people increasingly thinking about ways they can make a difference, it’s the perfect time to talk about food waste.
“Selling wonky fruit and veg is one way that Tesco ensures the food we grow ends up feeding people, but taking steps to tackle food waste is something we can all do.
“This can simply mean writing a list and planning meals before going to the shops, storing things correctly, or looking again at misshapen food and eating it with the knowledge that it’s just as good as the conventionally shaped alternative.”
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