Tesco’s new surplus marketplace – affectionately known as ‘Tesco Tinder’ – will help suppliers cut production costs and reduce waste.
More than 3,500 Tesco suppliers looking to sell or donate excess stock or products can use the new Tesco Exchange, where they will be matched with other suppliers who can make better use of the excess.
The marketplace will allow suppliers to advertise stock for sale, post requests for things they need and agree sales between each other. They can also set alerts for when items they need are posted.
Production cost savings made as a result are expected to benefit customers in the long-term.
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The opportunity for the Tesco Exchange platform was initially highlighted by Tesco and WWF’s recent report about on-farm food loss, which found that in the UK alone, more than three million tonnes of food waste perishes before even leaving the farm.
Surplus or waste can occur in food supply chains for a number of of reasons, with good weather resulting in bumper crops or food manufacturers creating by-product that can be used by others.
Tesco quality director Sarah Bradbury said, “Excess stock or waste for one supplier could be a valuable commodity to another. By linking different farmers, producers and manufacturers together, our suppliers can find new ways to trim their bills, reduce waste, and keep delivering great value for our customers.”
The first listing has already gone live, with food manufacturer, G Group offering up tonnes of beetroot peelings which could be used as cattle feed by a livestock farm.
Developed by sustainability consultancy Anthesis, technical director Dr Julian Parfitt described Tesco Exchange as a “great example of an initiative that the food industry needs to embrace and support” if it was to “directly address commitments on food waste, the circular economy, and move towards more sustainable and resilient supply chains”.
The move is the latest in an ongoing programme led by Tesco to help suppliers tackle waste. By working directly with global suppliers, it has helped to collectively reduce food loss and waste by 78,000 tonnes.
The supermarket giant aims to halve food waste in its operations by 2025 and reach net zero across its entire value chain by 2050.
