In an effort to cut costs, Tesco, the largest supermarket chain in the UK, is using the same trucks it uses to deliver fresh food to transport garbage.
According to the Guardian, the company has stopped using waste contractors to pick up and dispose of general products, including unsold food, from its 600 supermarkets. Instead the company is using the same pickup trucks that deliver food to the stores.
The news article alleges the trucks drop off the items at a waste center before returning to Tesco's distribution centers to pick up more groceries and food to start the cycle again. The new system does not involve the smaller vans that make home deliveries to customers. The vehicles are reportedly all being properly cleaned after carrying the food waste so that fresh products won't be contaminated.
"We have high standards of hygiene and food safety, and we require all vehicles to be inspected and cleared after every trip, with additional cleaning if required, alongside regular deep cleans," a Tesco spokesperson said.
Tesco is reportedly calling the move a way to decrease its carbon footprint and save money on transport.
"We have recently introduced a new way of managing waste in some of our stores, which will remove 20,000 additional trips a year and reduce our carbon emissions by 4.5 tones a year," a Tesco spokeswoman said.
However, many in the UK are skeptical about the company's ability and willingness to properly sanitize every truck.
According to the Guardian, only a quarter of the delivery trucks are sanitized or washed each week. Drivers are able to request a wash for their truck if they feel it's necessary. A source told the publication the plastic bags used to line the trucks are easily damaged.
The source told the news site that food would never touch the floor of the delivery trailer because it's packaged and transported within wheeled cages. Legally, all vehicles and containers used for transporting food must be kept clean and well-maintained to ensure food is not contaminated.
"The law is clear. where non-food products are carried there must be suitable cleaning before foods are carried," spokesperson for the Food Standards Agency said. "Receptacles or containers used to transport food cannot be used to transport anything else where this might lead to contamination."
