Lidl is to make its own-brand tea bags fully compostable in a bid to help shoppers make more sustainable choices.
Customers will be able to dispose of the tea bags in food or green waste bins, while the transition to fully compostable is expected to divert up to 800 million tea bags per year from traditional waste bins and landfill.
The discount grocer said the plant-based plastic, plylactic acid (PLA) material ensures the compostability of the tea bags and maintains the quality and flavour.
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The change will be rolling out across Lidl’s entire own-brand tea range, including its Deluxe Fairtrade Assam Tea, Knightsbridge Gold Blend Tea and Knightsbridge Red Label Tea over the coming months.
The move also forms part of the supermarket’s ongoing efforts to reduce its own-label plastic packaging by 40% by the end of 2025.
Lidl GB head of responsible sourcing and ethical trade, Shyam Unarket, said: “Those buying tea bags from Lidl are supporting our efforts to reduce single-use plastic going to landfill.
We understand that even a few small changes to our products can benefit our customers, while helping us improve our impact on the planet – one cup at a time.”
This comes as other leading supermarkets, including Waitrose, Tesco, Asda and Sainsbury’s, have also switched to plant-based, compostable tea bags across their own-brand ranges over the past year.
