M&S has issued an update to staff after a social media exposé of the food that stores put in bins.
The retailer is among a number of major grocers whose store bins have been filmed in recent weeks by the Instagram and TikTok account Food_waste_inspector_, with Lidl and Waitrose also targeted.
M&S has been in direct communication with the anonymous activists behind the accounts over his sustained daily campaign of filming the contents of its bins, which have included in-date sliced meat, whole chicken, potatoes and bakery items.
M&S’s update to all stores – obtained and shared by Food_waste_inspector_ – says that with immediate effect food should only be placed in its green wheelie bins by a duty manager. The duty manager will put a sticker on it saying ‘not fit for human consumption’, annotated with the reason.
Read more: Why are supermarket bins ending up full of in-date edible food?
M&S said it was correct that it shared regular guidance with staff on store processes. It said no M&S food went to landfill, with inedible items instead sent for anaerobic digestion for renewable energy.
It said each store was set up with local charities to donate unsold edible food, and it was checking in with them to make sure this was happening at the end of each day.
“Limiting food waste is a priority for M&S,” said a spokesperson. “We have a clear process to manage food waste in stores.”
The retailer said it had donated over 100 million meals to local charities over a 10 year-long partnership with redistribution platform Neighbourly.
Lidl and Waitrose have also said they are investigating the cases highlighted by Food_waste_inspector_, adding they do not reflect their procedures for ensuring unsold edible food goes to those in need, while underlining the millions of meals a year they donate through charity partners.
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