SHOPPERS in Halesowen and Sandwell are being urged to make a bid for £1 million - as part of a major supermarket's plans to slash the amount of food wasted.

Sainsbury's, which has a branch in Blackheath, is calling on residents and community groups to nominate their town to receive the cash investment and become a "test bed of innovation" for cutting down on wasted food.

The Sainsbury’s Waste Less, Save More town challenge is being launched in response to the growing problem of household waste, which results in the average family throwing away £700 of uneaten food a year.

In the West Midlands, 620,000 tonnes of food and drink is wasted each year, of which 370,000 tonnes - worth £1.1 billion - is said to be avoidable.

From the start of 2016, Sainsbury’s will invest £1 million in the selected town to try out some of the best ideas from around the world to uncover the most effective ways to reduce food waste and save people money.

Ideas could involve innovations in fridges so that householders could track when food is beginning to go off, "talking bins" that give tips when rubbish is put inside, and reward programmes to encourage recycling.

Findings and recommendations from the year-long project will be developed into a blueprint for other communities across the country that want to cut waste.

Sainsbury's chief executive Mike Coupe said: "We're confident that the project, which will start with trialling and testing in one UK town, will result in positive change for many more."

The closing date for applications is midnight on October 30 and the winner will be notified by December 1.

Individuals or community groups who would like to nominate their town to work with Sainsbury's on the "Waste Less, Save More" project can find out more at www.j-sainsbury.co.uk/wasteless.