Tesco-Global Áruházak Zrt. has been operating in Hungary since 1995, serving 3 million customers a week on average, in 208 stores altogether. The company has more than 20 thousand employees and has a partnership with more than a thousand local suppliers. Therefore, corporate social responsibility is of the utmost importance. They focus on three key areas: promoting a healthy lifestyle, increasing growth and learning opportunities for the young and tackling food waste.
Food waste is a global issue: more than one billion people are underfed, while none of them would go hungry if they could consume a mere quarter of food waste produced in Europe and the USA.
Tesco-Global Áruházak Zrt., as the leading retail chain, has the moral obligation to champion the reduction of food waste and set an example for other industry players. To this end, collaboration with organisations that help them achieve this goal is essential. Tesco puts the reduction of food waste produced by their operations in focus for the business and consumers alike: being socially and environmentally aware as they are, they donate surplus food that is still fit for consumption, but not fit for resale, to their strategic partner, the Hungarian Food Bank Association.
Currently, they collect surplus food in 73 stores, i.e. 65% of their whole chain. In accordance with legal restrictions they donate baked goods and produce. The number of participating stores is growing continuously. They believe, that on the long run no food that can be eaten should go wasted, and they strive to make food donations a best practice in their stores.
Between September 2014 and July 2016, Tesco has donated more than 2000 tons of food, worth more than HUF 1 billion to people in need, with the help of the Hungarian Food Bank Association. Moreover, the company donates HUF 15-20 million each year to the Hungarian Food Bank Association, providing financial assistance to the daily operations of the organisation.
In the spirit of responsibility and sustainability, the company raised high standards towards recipient organisations, to ensure they meet food hygiene regulations, among others. The Food Bank always performs a review and audit of their partner organisations. These actions serve as multiple filters to ensure that donations go to the right place.
In collaboration with the Food Bank, Tesco continuously improves their internal processes to reduce food waste in their operations. Monitoring results and generating internal reports all facilitate the management of food waste, for they can track the amount and weight of surplus food donated virtually on a daily basis. Cross-examinations, carried out in a joint effort by Tesco and the Food Bank, guarantee the quality and the appropriate use of donations.
Tesco cares about raising awareness among customers and their own colleagues, therefore they communicate their activities using their online and print presence, press releases, infographics, corporate and employee articles.
Tesco’s aim is to develop programmes that enable the more efficient use of high quality food produced. To this end, they organise a conference across Central-Europe on tackling food waste this October.