Lidl GB has revealed that it is has become the first UK supermarket to start incorporating Prevented Ocean Plastic into its new water bottles.
Appearing in the German discounter’s stores throughout July, Lidl’s San Celestino Italian sparkling mineral water bottles will contain a minimum of 30% Prevented Ocean Plastic, which would have otherwise ended up in the ocean.
With 12 million bottles sold annually, the initiative is expected to save almost 100 tonnes of plastic from entering oceans per year, equivalent to almost four million plastic water bottles.
The move builds on the discounter’s previous strides in this space. Lidl became the first UK supermarket to introduce food packaging using Prevented Ocean Plastic in 2020.
Since then, it has been rolled out across a range of Lidl’s own-brand fresh fish, breaded poultry, sausage and fresh fruit products, preventing the equivalent of more than 15 million plastic water bottles from entering the ocean.
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Lidl is also taking steps to improve the recyclability of its plastic, as last year the discounter transitioned its green semi-skimmed milk caps over to clear ones.
In partnership with both Müller and Cornish Farm, it is now moving its entire milk range to clear caps, supporting an industry wide retention of 4,000 tonnes of bottle top material to be used again within the food sector.
“Ocean plastic pollution is a pressing environmental concern, it is expected that by 2050 there could be more plastic in the ocean than fish,” head of responsible sourcing and ethical trade at Lidl GB, Shyam Unarket said.
“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.”
