Write a commentLidl have announced a major push to reducing plastic waste on their fruit and vegetable products with other initiatives in the pipeline.
At present with the introduction of new loose fruit and veg options more than 25% of their range are package free in their Newry and other Irish stores.
Lidl will remove black plastic packaging from its entire fruit and vegetable range across all 195 Ireland and Northern Ireland stores before Christmas.
Newry and Armagh MLA and Sinn Fein Energy, Environment & Climate Change spokesperson Cathal Boylan has welcomed the move: “Moves by Lidl to remove all-single use plastics and black plastic packaging from the fruit and veg range in their stores is a positive step in the fight against plastic pollution.
“Black plastic containers cannot be recycled and it’s estimated that this initiative will result in the removal of 65 tonnes of plastic waste each year.
“This figures should act as an incentive for other stores and manufacturers to get involved in tackling this manmade problem.
“With over 10 million tonnes of plastic waste leaking into our oceans each year, we are reaching a critical point.
“We all have a responsibility to make the right choice and move to renewable alternatives that will help drive the fight against plastic pollution.”
Black plastic packaging is not recycled in Ireland or the UK because recycling sorting systems cannot detect the carbon black pigment. Lidl will also scrap the packaging from fresh fish products by February 2019, followed by fresh meat, poultry and cured meat ranges before August.
As a result of this move by Lidl, over 65 tonnes of black plastic waste will be avoided annually from fruit and vegetables alone.
Lidl, named Ireland’s ‘Green Retailer of the Year 2018’, said it has also scrapped the sale of single-use plastic items including drinking straws, disposable plates, cups and cutlery, with plastic-stemmed cotton buds next on the list in the coming months. The single-use plastic items are being replaced with biodegradable alternatives.
No other supermarket on the island of Ireland has committed to such firm and imminent commitments in relation to either type of plastic.
“These are significant steps,” Lidl Ireland & Northern Ireland Managing Director, J.P. Scally said. “Sustainability is core to our business and we are proud to continue leading the retail sector in implementing ambitious measures which will deliver real and lasting benefits for everyone.”
The move is one of many steps that the retailer is taking as part of its plastic reduction strategy. Already this year the company confirmed it had achieved ‘zero waste to landfill’ and announced a ban on microbeads in all cosmetic and household ranges.
It also published several ambitious plastic reduction targets, including using 20% less plastic packaging by 2022 and having 100% recyclable own-brand packaging by 2025.
