LIDL GB TO PREVENT FURTHER 1.7 MILLION PLASTIC BOTTLES FROM ENTERING THE OCEAN WITH MAJOR UPDATE TO PACKAGING

• ​​​​​​‘Prevented Ocean Plastic’ – an initiative which sees tonnes of ocean bound plastic repurposed for packaging instead – is being extended to Lidl GB’s fresh meat range packaging
• New packaging to now feature in discounter’s 400g and XXL 667g Deluxe sausages
• The extension will prevent over 40 tonnes of plastic from entering the ocean every year – equivalent to 1.7 million water bottles

31 October 2022: The first ever UK supermarket to launch packaging using ‘Prevented Ocean Plastic’, Lidl GB is now building on its credentials by extending its focus to fresh meat ranges.

From this week, Lidl’s 400g and XXL 667g Deluxe sausages – which are RSPCA assured and certified to Red Tractor standard (QMS standard in Scotland) - are now packaged in trays containing a minimum of 30% ‘Prevented Ocean Plastic’ (POP). This means that households preparing part of their morning fry up can help to prevent single-use plastic waste from entering our seas.

In 2020, the discounter became the first UK supermarket to incorporate ‘Prevented Ocean Plastic’ (POP) into some of its fish packaging. Now ‘Prevented Ocean Plastic’ (POP) is used in most of Lidl’s own brand fresh fish ranges and is also used in some of the discounter’s breaded poultry ranges.

Earlier this year, Lidl reached the milestone of preventing the equivalent of 15 million plastic water bottles from entering the ocean. This latest change would see an estimated additional 1.7 million water bottles prevented from entering the ocean each year – around 40 tonnes of plastic.  

Amali Bunter, Lidl GB’s head of responsible sourcing and ethical trade, said: “As the first UK supermarket to launch packaging using Prevented Ocean Plastic, we are so proud to have now prevented the equivalent of over 15 million plastic water bottles from entering the ocean. Of course, our commitment to tackling the detrimental impact of plastic waste doesn’t end there and we’ll continue to work with our suppliers to build on our efforts.”

POP packaging, supplied and developed in conjunction with Bantam Materials, is made from discarded water bottles found in Southeast Asia within 30 miles of a coastline or major waterway that feeds into the ocean. This waste is then sorted and processed before being used in packaging. The entire process is fully traceable, with a robust documented chain of accountability. Packaging containing POP contains a minimum of 30% Prevented Ocean Plastic.

Shoppers can spot the distinctive POP packaging in-store by the blue and white logo on certain items. 

ENDS

Notes to editors

In October 2022, Lidl GB won the Marine Stewardship Council’s UK Mid-size Store Retailer of the Year award for the 7th year in a row.

*Prevented Ocean Plastic is found within 50km (30 miles) of an ocean coastline or major waterway that feeds into the ocean, in Southeast Asia. This is specific to countries and regions that lack waste management infrastructure, often those places that have been overwhelmed by population growth or tourism. There is also a significant risk to wildlife if plastic contaminates their ecosystem.

About Lidl GB 

Since establishing itself in Great Britain in 1994, Lidl GB has experienced continuous growth and today has over 28,000 employees, over 935 stores and 13 distribution centres in England, Scotland and Wales.   

As part of the Schwarz retail group, Lidl is one of Europe’s leading organisations in the food retail industry. The supermarket, which has more than 360,000 employees globally, currently operates approximately 12,000 stores and more than 200 warehouses and distribution centres in 31 countries.  

The supermarket takes pride in providing its customers with the highest quality products at the lowest possible prices throughout Great Britain, from Kirkwall to the Isle of Wight. Social responsibility and sustainability are at the core of the company's daily operations, with the company placing a strong emphasis on its responsibility for people, society, and the environment. Lidl GB is passionate about working with British producers and sources two thirds of its products from British suppliers.  

The Schwarz Group, which operates worldwide as a retail group, generated a turnover of €132.3 billion in the financial year 2021.   

For more information about Lidl GB visit https://corporate.lidl.co.uk/  

Project STOP  

Lidl, through its parent company, Schwarz, was the first retail and technical partner for Project STOP (Stop Ocean Plastic). The mission of Project STOP is to design, implement and scale circular economy solutions to marine plastic pollution in Southeast Asia, one of the most problematic areas in the world for marine pollution. We are providing technical advice to local communities in Indonesia to help develop efficient waste management systems. 

About REset Plastic
The Schwarz Group with its two retail group companies, Lidl and Kaufland, is one of the biggest international retailers. It is aware of its responsibility towards the environment and takes it on. With REset Plastic, the Group has developed a holistic internationally applied strategy compromising five action areas: from avoidance and design to recycling and removal up to innovation and education. In doing so the vision of “less plastic- closed loops” will become reality.

The five guiding principles of the action areas of “REset Plastic – the plastics strategy of the Schwarz Group”:

REduce We reduce – wherever sustainably possible – plastic. Not only in packaging!

REdesign We design recyclable packaging and close loops.

REcycle We collect, sort and recycle plastic to close the loop.

REmove We support the removal of plastic waste from the environment.

REsearch We invest in research and the development of innovative solutions and educate on recycling.

Learn more: www.reset-plastic.com