With plastic pollution crawling and digging its claws on every inch of the planet, eliminating the use of this non-biodegradable product has become an absolute necessity. Although this change might not be easy as plastic marks its presence in every aspect of human existence, the toxic plastic products must be abolished.
German global discount supermarket chain, Lidl is set to launch new packaging material which is made of recycled ocean-bound plastic. This plastic waste was collected from beaches and coastline around South East Asia. Lidl operates over 10,000 stores across Europe and the United States.
Image: Supermarket News
According to the German grocer, it is the first UK grocer to introduce such a scheme. Aiming to prevent over 60 tons of plastic from ending up in the ocean each year – the equivalent of 2.5 million plastic water bottles, Lidl would start using new packaging material from March 30.
Initially, the packaging would be used across fresh fish products in partnership with supplier Copernus, representing more than 50 percent of the discounter’s fish lines and including white fish and salmon. The retailer is also exploring other uses for the packaging across other product lines in 2020.
Also Read: Big Brands Pledge to Eliminate Single-Use Plastic
Lidl will be sourcing its materials for the new plastic packaging initiative from the coastlines in developing regions such as South East Asia, where 80-90 percent of plastic packaging reaches the ocean through coastlines.
The new packaging material is made from 80 percent recycled content and a minimum of 30 percent of the weight of the tray is made up of ocean-bound plastic.
Lidl has also improved the recyclability of the packaging, which will divert over 200 tons from landfills with a new recyclable tray, with a “widely recyclable” labeling scheme that would enable the majority of customers to recycle at the kerbside.
Lidl head of corporate social responsibility Georgina Hall 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 10 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.
He further added,
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.
This new packaging is part of Lidl’s initiatives to ensure half of the packaging is made from recycled materials by 2025, reduce plastic by 20 percent by 2022, and make 100 percent of own-brand packaging widely recyclable, reusable or refillable by 2025.
Via: Retail Gazette