Lidl is aiming to reduce food waste across its stores with the introduction of ‘rescue bags’, consisting of imperfect fruit and vegetables that would normally be thrown out.
The retailer will begin rolling out the bags, priced €3 each, in stores from May of this year.
Rescue Bags
In a statement, Lidl said that it has had a long-time involvement in preventing food waste and is now taking what it describes as ‘the next logical step’.
The company is seeking to reduce food losses and organic waste across its business by 30% by 2025.
The strategy includes, among others, more needs-based ordering of goods, discounts for items with a short shelf life, and recycling food that is no longer edible in biogas plants.
Elisabeth Koep, head of CSR and sustainability at Lidl in Germany, said, “With the holistic ‘Rette Mich' (Save Me) concept in our branches, we want to work with our customers to save food in a targeted manner. We can reduce food waste, especially with fruit and vegetable items, by offering less-perfect products at a large discount.”
Read More: Malaysia, Israel, Greece Produce Most Food Waste On A Per-Capita Basis, Study Finds
Food Waste Prevention At Lidl Germany
In other product groups across Lidl stores, customers will find boxes in which the retailer offers what it describes as ‘quality products’ at half the price a few days before the best-before date is reached.
In addition, various products, such as milk or yoghurt, feature the ‘Ich halte oft länger, als man denkt' (I often last longer than you think) slogan, in an attempt to make customers aware that food can often be enjoyed even after the best-before date has passed.
The company also communicates tips and recipes for preventing food waste via various channels, such as its website.
© 2022 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Conor Farrelly. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine.
