Tesco, Sainsbury's, Waitrose and Nestle will pledge to help halve food waste by 2030, ministers have announced.

The major food retailers will join about 300 other businesses and individuals at a symposium on Monday to adopt a package of commitments to help slash food waste.

Britain currently wastes 10.2 million tonnes of food every year - with 1.8 million tonnes coming from food manufacture, one million tonnes from the hospitality sector, 260,000 tonnes from retail and the rest from households, according to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

At the Step Up To The Plate event in London, Environment Secretary Michael Gove will say throwing away millions of tonnes of food is an "environmental, economic and moral scandal".

He will add: "Every year, millions of tonnes of good, nutritious food is thrown away.


"This is an environmental, economic and moral scandal, and I am determined to tackle it.

"I urge businesses to join me in signing the pledge to deliver real change to stop good food going to waste."

The government's food surplus and waste champion Ben Elliot is expected to tell delegates: "Businesses throw away food worth an estimated £5bn and £15bn is wasted from our homes - the emissions this creates is the equivalent of every third car on the road.

"We simply must put an end to this."

Businesses are expected to set their own targets to help contribute to the UN Sustainable Development Goal of halving per capita global food waste by 2030.

The government also wants attendees to adopt the Food Waste Reduction Roadmap to help companies measure and report on efforts to cut back waste.

But while Tesco chief executive Dave Lewis welcomed the vow, he said a commitment from all UK food companies to publish their food waste data within the next 12 months should also be part of the deal.

Tesco says it will publish its latest food waste data in its annual report on Tuesday.

Mr Lewis, who is also chairman of Champions 12.3, a global coalition of leaders dedicated to achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goal, added: "We welcome the UK Government's focus in this area and see an opportunity to press even further to continue to lead the world in our efforts to tackle food waste."