We need businesses with the balls to be radical on waste

For something so tiny, date labels cause one hell of a lot of waste. Some 600,000 tonnes of food chucked out each year by shoppers struck dumb by the difference between best-before and use-by dates, says Wrap. Not to mention products ending up in industrial bins as supermarkets refuse to sell after best-before dates have expired, despite the fact it’s perfectly legal to do so.

Until now. From next week East of England Co-op will begin selling food past its best for a nominal sum of 10p. It’s a brave move and liable to attract derision from customers convinced they are being flogged something unsafe and second rate. But if we’re to stand a hope in hell of cutting down food waste we need radical moves. We need businesses with the balls to try something different. And initiatives more radical than a little blue fridge.

That’s why The Grocer has stuck its neck out, too. Our petition calling for government to help fund surplus food redistribution is proof we’re deadly serious about surplus. But we need your help. To sign up head to petition.parliament.uk/petitions/204156