Through the initiative, Lidl expects to save almost 100 tonnes of plastic from entering the oceans annually, equivalent to nearly four million water bottles.
Beginning in July, shoppers can find Lidl’s one-litre San Celestino Italian Sparkling Mineral Water bottles, which will contain a minimum of 30% Prevented Ocean Plastic and can be identified by the blue and white logo.
Lidl GB’s head of responsible sourcing and ethical trade Shyam Unarket said: “Through this latest product development, we hope to inspire wider efforts across the industry.”
Ocean plastic pollution is a pressing global environmental issue, with projections from the Ellen MacArthur Foundation suggesting that by 2050, there could be more plastic in the ocean than fish.
According to Reuters Drowning in Plastic investigation 1.3 billion plastic bottles are used each day across the globe. As brands move to improve the circularity of water bottles and reduce plastic usage, efforts are still required to collect plastics that have seeped into the natural environment.
The integrated Prevented Ocean Plastic will be sourced from regions within 30 miles of ocean coastlines or major waterways in Southeast Asia where waste management infrastructure is lacking, further posing a threat to the wildlife upon contamination of the ecosystem.
The entire process of packaging the bottles, from sorting to processing of the plastic, is fully traceable with a documented chain of accountability, according to the supermarket.
Lidl’s commitment to reducing plastic waste goes beyond this initiative. By 2025, the company aims to decrease its label plastic packaging by 40% relative to its 2017 baseline and ensure that 100% of its label and branded packaging is recyclable, reusable, refillable, and renewable. As of 2021, 84% of the company’s product range is considered recyclable, reusable, refillable, and renewable.
Lidl GB has already made big strides in its sustainability journey. Earlier this month, the supermarket giant announced that it will be switching from rigid plastic trays to vacuum-packed packaging for beef mince, which is expected to save 250 tonnes of plastic within a year.
Lidl GB has signed up to WWF’s Retailers’ Commitment for Nature with the aim of halving the environmental impact of the average UK shopping basket by 2030.
Lidl has set goals to reduce its operational emissions by 80% by 2030 compared to 2019 levels across all countries that it operates in.