LIDL GB ANNOUNCES NEW TARGET AND TRIALS FOR FOOD WASTE REDUCTION

• Lidl GB has set a new target to reduce food waste by 70% by the end of FY2030
• A new Surplus Saviours trial with Neighbourly will help it redistribute even more food to those in need 
• The discounter successfully exceeded its original target to reduce food waste by 40% by the end of FY2025¹

Lidl GB has today revealed a new food waste reduction target to coincide with the start of Food Waste Action Week and announced new trials to help accelerate progress.  

After surpassing its FY2025 goal of 40% food waste reduction¹, the discounter has now raised its five-year target from 50% to a more ambitious 70% by FY2030².

To drive this next phase of food waste reduction, Lidl is extending its current partnership with Neighbourly to trial the charity’s Surplus Saviours³ initiative this summer in the Midlands. This redistribution scheme enables registered individuals - including charity volunteers and customers - to collect unsold surplus food, building on the partnerships Lidl stores already have with registered charities and helping even more people support their local communities. With extended collection times and access to fresh and chilled items approaching their use‑by date later in the evening, the trial is expected to redistribute more than 5,000 tonnes of food to those in need. 

In addition to community redistribution, Lidl has also further strengthened its circular economy credentials with a new animal feed trial taking place in the Peterborough region. This trial will see the supermarket divert inedible fresh bakery lines, including everything from croissants to bread loaves, to create animal feed. 

Matt Juden-Bloomfield, Head of Sustainability at Lidl GB, said: “At Lidl, we set ambitious targets that challenge how we operate and inspire innovation when it comes to food waste. We've made good strides, but we know we can do more. With that in mind, we have increased our targets to ensure we remain accountable and also introduced some exciting new trials to take things to the next level. We remain committed to accelerating our progress in this space and collaborating closely with our industry peers to drive lasting impact for both the environment and the communities we are at the heart of.”

Lidl GB works closely with global environmental action NGO, WRAP, to identify practical, data‑driven ways to cut waste. 

Commenting on the partnership, Estelle Herszenhorn, Director of Food System Transformation at WRAP, said:“For the past 10 years, Lidl GB has been an active and engaged signatory of WRAP’s UK Food & Drink Pact. It has been fantastic seeing them offer loose fruits and vegetables and adopting best practice labelling. Both practices help shoppers reduce their household food waste. In-store, Lidl GB's initiative on matching bakery products with demand aligns with WRAP's priority of preventing food waste before it occurs. We are delighted to see increased paths for redistribution where food is surplus – a move WRAP also encourages.”

Updates to the Lidl in-store bakery have been one of the ways the discounter has achieved its current target. By aligning the amount of products more closely to demand throughout the day, it has reduced bakery-related food waste by 30% last year. To further help prevent food waste, the Lidl Plus app offers customers 20% off all in-store bakery items after 7pm.

Since 2016, Lidl GB has also donated 50 million meals by redistributing high-quality surplus food through its Feed it Back scheme, delivered in partnership with Neighbourly. Every Lidl store nationwide is linked to local good causes, with processes in place to ensure as much suitable surplus food as possible is donated.

Now into its fourth decade in Great Britain, Lidl has an unwavering commitment to advance its journey towards operating more sustainably. This focus has shaped their sustainability vision of better living every day. 

ENDS

Notes to Editor

¹ Compared to a 2016 baseline. Lidl Financial year runs 1st March 2025- 28th February 2026.

² Compared to a 2016 baseline. Lidl Financial year runs 1st March 2030- 28th February 2031.

³ Those interested in signing up for Surplus saviours can do so via the Neighbourly website here. Donations can only be given to those who can show they are registered with Neighbourly: https://hub.neighbourly.com/surplus-saviours-0 

About Lidl GB

Since establishing itself in Great Britain in 1994, Lidl GB has experienced continuous growth and today has over 35,000 employees, over 1,000 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 382,400 employees globally, currently operates around 12,600 stores and more than 230 logistics centres and warehouses 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.

Lidl GB is a key contributor to the British economy, generating £14.5bn in Gross Value Added in FY24, supporting over 281,000 jobs, and contributing more than £1bn in tax to public services. Driven by a core commitment to social responsibility and sustainability, the retailer sources two-thirds of its products from British suppliers.

The Schwarz Group, which operates worldwide as a retail group, generated a revenue of €167.3 billion in the financial year 2024.

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

About Neighbourly

Neighbourly helps businesses make a positive impact in communities across the UK and Ireland by donating volunteer time, money and surplus products to local good causes, all in one place. The company facilitates meaningful partnerships between companies, local charities and communities, ensuring corporate donations and resources contribute to sustainable community development.

As one of the UK’s very first B Corporations, Neighbourly’s mission is to put local impact at the heart of responsible business. The platform takes the uncertainty out of doing good by matching what’s available to where it’s needed most, across a network of over 45,000 vetted charities and good causes.

To date, Neighbourly has facilitated the distribution of over 300 million meals worth of surplus food, 297,000 volunteer hours, 5,200 tonnes product donations and £43M in local funding, with a total social value impact of over £1.8 billion.