Using official statistics showing that the average UK family throws away £700 of food each year, the supermarket set a target of getting households to slash this by 50%. Sainsbury ’s has abandoned its efforts to encourage households to cut their household food waste by 50 % . The supermarket ’s £ 10 m five - year Waste Less , Save More programme was launched in 2008 . However , after a one - year , £ 1 m trial in Swadlincote , Derbyshire , the 50 % campaign has been abandoned as behavioural change has proved difficult to achieve . Sainsbury ’s will now undertake a trial in Peckham , London that will explore the possibility of reducing food waste in areas of high housing density . The UK generates 15 million tonnes of food waste each year , with 7.3 million tonnes being consumed by households .
Sainsbury ’s has abandoned its efforts to encourage households to cut their household food waste by 50 % . The supermarket ’s £ 10 m five - year Waste Less , Save More programme was launched in 2008 . However , after a one - year , £ 1 m trial in Swadlincote , Derbyshire , the 50 % campaign has been abandoned as behavioural change has proved difficult to achieve . Sainsbury ’s will now undertake a trial in Peckham , London that will explore the possibility of reducing food waste in areas of high housing density . The UK generates 15 million tonnes of food waste each year , with 7.3 million tonnes being consumed by households .