People have been invited to nominate their borough to receive £1m to help reduce the mountains of food being thrown away each year.
Smart fridges which detect when food is going off and talking bins which offer advice could be provided to households in the winning area as part of the initiative by Sainsbury's.
The money would also fund rewards to encourage recycling, new packaging to keep products fresher for longer, and educational programmes for local schools and community centres.
Sainsbury's will also work with the council and local residents to get their ideas for tackling the issue.
The year-long pilot scheme, starting in 2016, will be used by the retail giant to develop a blueprint for cutting food waste across the country.
The average family throws away a staggering £700 worth of uneaten food each year, according to Sainsbury's, with 900,000 tonnes of food going to waste each year in London alone.
Sainsbury's Waste Less, Save More challenge is part of its commitment to invest £10 million over the next five years reducing the amount of food that gets binned.
Towns or boroughs must have a population of between 15,000 and 300,000, and must have a Sainsbury's store within a five mile radius, to be eligible.
The closing date for applications is Friday, October 30, at 11.59pm, and the winner will be notified by December 1.
For more information and to nominate your borough, visit www.j-sainsbury.co.uk/wasteless.
TOP FIVE WASTED FOODS (percentage of sales going to waste, according to the charity WRAP)
Cabbage 48.5%
Potatoes 46%
Lettuce/salads 40%
Carrots 37%
Bread 29%
