A TikTok activist who exposed food waste in M&S store bins has said he “didn’t take anything positive” from meeting the retailer.
M&S reached out to the Food_waste_inspector_ last week after he posted videos of store bins containing in-date sliced meat, whole chicken, potatoes and bakery items. The retailer messaged the anonymous activist on Instagram saying it was “looking into everything you’ve posted” and would “love to come and meet with you”.
The Food_waste_inspector_ initially left the meeting on Thursday feeling reassured. “M&S assured me today that they are on top of this and they’re going to put a stop to this and make sure all edible foods like I’ve been finding go to charities,” he said in an update to his 80,000 followers.
“They’re looking up other charities to collect, so if a charity fails to turn up, they have others to fall back on.
“This is a long-term plan. It’s going to take a while, obviously, to roll all this out and make it all work.
“But hopefully over time, it all clicks into place and the waste will be massively reduced.”
Read more: Why are supermarket bins ending up full of in-date edible food?
However, since then he has posted about finding more “absolutely crazy waste” in M&S store bins on Sunday night, including multiple tubs of mashed potato with a use-by date of 30 January 2026. “Marks & Spencer, I’ll carry on showing it until you sort the problem out,” he warns in the video. “It ain’t gonna go away.”
He told The Grocer today that the meeting “went well, but I didn’t take anything constructive or positive from it”.
“I’m finding so many stores now have simply locked their bins inside the stores to hide the problem. I don’t believe they are going to change what’s going on, even though they told me they were on top of this.”
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M&S already works with redistribution platform Neighbourly to donate unsold edible food from its network of stores to local charities. The retailer is understood to be reviewing every part of its processes to ensure edible surplus is donated.
M&S is is one of three major grocers exposed by the Food_waste_inspector_ in recent weeks over in-date food in store bins, the other two being Lidl and Waitrose. All three have said they are investigating the cases highlighted, which do not reflect their procedures for ensuring unsold edible food goes to those in need.
Neighbourly CEO Steve Butterworth said: “Redistributing fresh produce at a national scale is a complex, time-critical operation. When issues occur, they are typically the result of unforeseen logistical challenges or strict food safety constraints rather than a lack of commitment. Ensuring the health and safety of both collectors and recipients remains our highest priority.”
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