Lidl launches packaging made from ‘ocean-bound’ plastic
Supermarket chain Lidl is launching a range of recycled packaging made from ‘ocean bound’ plastic collected from beaches in South East Asia.
The new packaging, which is developed with Copernus, Sharpak and Bantam Materials, will initially roll out across 13 of Lidl’s fresh fish products in March 2020, later extending to the entire fresh fish range. The supermarket says its initiative will prevent over 60 tonnes of plastic from entering the ocean per year – equivalent to 2.5 million plastic water bottles.
Georgina Hall, Lidl GB’s head of corporate social responsibility, said: “By 2050, there will be more plastic in the ocean than fish, according to data from the Ellen MacArthur Foundation. The majority of ocean plastic enters the sea from ten main entry points, eight of which are in Asia. Countries like those in South East Asia lack the waste management infrastructure to manage this problem, which is often overwhelmed by population growth or tourism.
“We are proud to be the first UK supermarket introducing packaging incorporating plastic that would have otherwise ended up in the ocean, helping to tackle the problem directly as part of our commitment to prevent plastics ending up as waste. We are actively looking to extend this innovative solution to other product lines to help reduce the amount of plastic ending up in our oceans and keep our environments healthy.”
Lidl has also improved the recyclability of the packaging – a new recyclable tray will now be labelled with ‘Widely Recyclable’, in line with OPRL guidelines, meaning the majority of customers will be able to recycle at kerbside.
The move comes as part of the brand’s commitment to have 50% of all its packaging made from recycled material by 2025.
