The supermarket chain anticipates that the initiative will save around 100 tonnes of plastic from entering our oceans per year, which is equal to around four million plastic water bottles
Lidl become the first UK supermarket to use Prevented Ocean Plastic in water bottles. (Credit: Lidl GB)
German supermarket chain Lidl has announced its plans to use Prevented Ocean Plastic in its one-litre San Celestino Italian sparkling mineral water bottles from July.
The permanent change is expected to be effective this July across all Lidl stores.
The discount retailer claimed that it will be the first UK supermarket to introduce this change.
Lidl’s one-litre San Celestino Italian sparkling mineral water bottles will use a minimum of 30% Prevented Ocean Plastic.
Made using used water bottles discovered in Southeast Asia, Prevented Ocean Plastic packaging is supplied and developed in collaboration with Bantam Materials.
The supermarket chain, part of Schwarz retail group, anticipates that the initiative will save around 100 tonnes of plastic from entering our oceans per year, which is equal to around four million plastic water bottles.
According to the company, consumers can differentiate the Prevented Ocean Plastic packaging in-store by spotting the blue and white logo.
Lidl Responsible Sourcing and Ethical Trade head Shyam Unarket said: “Ocean plastic pollution is a pressing environmental concern, it is expected that by 2050 there could be more plastic in the ocean than fish.
“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.”
The move is based on the company’s earlier steps in this space. In 2020, Lidl became the first UK supermarket to introduce food packaging using Prevented Ocean Plastic.
The German discount retailer has launched this plastic in a range of its own-brand fresh fish, breaded poultry, sausage, and fresh fruit products and saved the equivalent of around 15 million plastic water bottles from entering the ocean.
Lidl also unveiled its plans to replace the coloured milk caps with clear caps to further improve recycling.
In the coming two months, the change will be implemented in collaboration with dairy product suppliers Müller and Cornish Farm.