Plastic

The Schwarz Group is one of the biggest international retailers. It is aware of its responsibility towards environment and takes it on. With REset Plastic, the Group has developed a holistic internationally applied strategy compromising five action areas: from avoidance and design to recycling and removal up to innovation and education. In doing so the vision of “less plastic- closed loops” will become reality. Learn more: www.reset-plastic.com

Our Reduction, Redesign and Recycling plan strategy translates itself into three main objectives related to the sale of products; the first one is the reduction of plastic use by at least 20% by 2025 (a tangible objective that we intend to achieve by redesigning the packaging and repackaging of our private labels), the second one is to make all (100%) of our private label packaging recyclable by 2025 and the third goal is to use an average of 20 percent recycled material in private label packaging made of plastic by the same date.

As a first concrete action towards the reduction of plastic Lidl Malta has stopped selling disposable plastic items such as disposable cups and glasses, plates and cutlery at the end of 2019. These items have been replaced by products made of alternative and recyclable materials. As a second step, Lidl also aims to refrain from using plastic cutlery and drinking straws and instead use recyclable products in the convenience and beverage sector.

Another tangible action we have taken in order to reduce single use plastic is that we have agreed with our staff members to stop the use of plastic during their shifts. We have distributed free water dispensers and reusable bottles and our catch phrase is: “if you can’t reuse it, refuse it!” – we estimate that this simple initiative could save over 200.000 plastic bottles or cups per year from being used and disposed of internally.