SHORE TO STORE: LIDL GB BECOMES FIRST SUPERMARKET TO INCORPORATE PREVENTED OCEAN PLASTIC INTO WATER BOTTLES

• Lidl is extending Prevented Ocean Plastic™ to its water bottle packaging
• From July, the retailer’s San Celestino Italian sparkling mineral water bottles will incorporate the ocean bound plastic
• The permanent change will prevent the equivalent of nearly 4 million plastic water bottles from entering the ocean each year
• Lidl is also changing all milk caps from coloured to clear, further improving their recyclability

12th JUNE, LONDON – Lidl GB has announced that it will be incorporating Prevented Ocean Plastic™ into its water bottles – becoming the first UK supermarket to make this change.

Appearing in store throughout July, Lidl’s 1 litre San Celestino Italian Sparkling Mineral Water bottles will contain a minimum of 30% Prevented Ocean Plastic™  - plastic which would have otherwise ended up in the ocean¹.

With 12 million bottles of the everyday item sold annually, this initiative is expected to save almost 100 tonnes of plastic from entering our oceans per year, equivalent to almost 4 million plastic water bottles.

The move builds on the discounter’s previous strides in this space. Lidl has been leading the way since 2020, when it became the first UK supermarket to introduce food packaging using Prevented Ocean Plastic™ . Since then, it has been rolled out across a range of Lidl’s own-brand fresh fish, breaded poultry, sausage and fresh fruit products, meaning that the retailer has already prevented the equivalent of more than 15 million plastic water bottles from entering the ocean.

Doubling down on their commitments, Lidl is also taking steps to improve the recyclability of its plastic. Last year, the discounter transitioned its semi-skimmed fresh milk with supplier Müller² over to clear caps.

Over the next two months, in partnership with both Müller and Cornish Farm, it is transitioning its entire milk range to clear caps.

The rollout of colourless milk caps this year will support industry wide retention of 4000 tonnes of bottle top material to be used again within the food sector.

Shyam Unarket, Head of Responsible Sourcing and Ethical Trade at Lidl GB, said:  “Ocean plastic pollution is a pressing environmental concern, it is expected that by 2050 there could be more plastic in the ocean than fish. As pioneers of integrating ocean bound plastic into our packaging in 2020, we have been consistently building and improving on our efforts since, and are proud to now extend Prevented Ocean Plastic™ into water bottles. Through this latest product development, we hope to inspire wider efforts across the industry.”

Prevented Ocean Plastic™ 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.

ENDS

Notes to editors

• ¹Prevented 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 regions that lack waste management infrastructure, where there is also a significant risk to wildlife if plastic contaminates their ecosystem.
  • Packaging containing Prevented Ocean Plastic™ contains a minimum of 30% Prevented Ocean Plastic.
  • Shoppers can spot the distinctive Prevented Ocean Plastic™ packaging in-store by looking for the blue and white logo. 
• ²This applies to lines supplied by Müller.

About Lidl GB

Since establishing itself in Great Britain in 1994, Lidl GB has experienced continuous growth and today has over 31,000 employees, over 960 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 €133.6 billion in the financial year 2021.

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