Food Waste

At Lidl, we take the issue of food poverty seriously and have been working with FoodCloud since 2017 to help redistribute over 3.8 million meals to our local communities across Ireland. FoodCloud are an Irish social enterprise with a vision for a world where no good food goes to waste. They connect food businesses with surplus food to charities and community groups around Ireland who can use it, reducing both the environmental and societal impact of food waste. Lidl operate a national food redistribution programme that sees all of our stores connected with a charity or community group via FoodCloud.

Our “Waste Not” initiative has also saw us save over 940,000kg of food waste in 2022. “Waste Not” allows us to offer significant price reductions on a range of chilled food products that have reached their best-before date but are still perfectly fresh and fine to eat.

Packaging

It is important to note that packaging, including packaging made from plastic, plays an important role protecting products, informing consumers and reducing food waste. However, the excessive use of packaging or the use of unsuitable and non-circular packaging formats and materials is wasting limited resources and has a detrimental effect on the environment. Therefore we recognise our role as a retailer in the circular economy and tackle the need to optimise and rethink the way we utitlise packaging and try to educate our staff and consumers.

In September 2022, we became the first national supermarket to achieve our goal of reducing the consumption of own-brand primary plastic packaging by 20% – one year ahead of the targeted time frame. This goal was achieved one year ahead of originally scheduled and our target is being reviewed to ensure momentum is continued as we head toward 2025. Our other key packaging commitments include…

• • By 2025, 100% of our own-brand packaging will be reusable, designed for maximum recyclability or made from renewable recources.

• • By 2025, 50% of the materials used in our own-brand packaging will be made using recycled materials.

Deposit Return Scheme

In the summer of 2021, we became the first Irish retailer to announce the roll out of reverse vending machines to facilitate the Deposit Return Scheme (DRS). The machines enable our customers to deposit used plastic beverage bottles and aluminium cans in return for money-back vouchers redeemable in-store. Our reverse vending machines will aim to redirect 1,500 tonnes of plastic annually that will then be manufactured into new products. Currently located in our Glenageary & Claremorris stores, this is the beginning of a larger rollout across our store network with an ambition of having a nationwide scheme in place by 2023 in line with government objectives.

The reverse vending machines are simple to use and will accept both plastic PET drinks bottles and aluminium cans purchased at Lidl and in other retailers. For every unit deposited a customer will receive a €0.10 voucher in return. As of November 2022, between the two stores, we have processed over 780,000 PET bottles and aluminium. Incentivising customers to recycle their bottle(s) instead of littering or placing it in general waste bins in public or potentially at home.

Prevented Ocean Plastic

We became the first retailer in Ireland to announce the launch of Prevented Ocean Plastic (POP) fresh food packaging using “ocean bound plastic”*, plastic that would have otherwise ended up in the ocean and that is now recycled and reintroduced into our packaging. Working in collaboration with our supplier, Keohane Seafoods, we have moved five fresh fish products into this innovative new packaging with products including:  Salmon Darnes, Skinless Salmon Darnes, King Prawns and Cod Fillets. This innovative packaging initiative forms part of our overall commitment to ensure 50% of packaging is made from recycled materials by 2025.

Between 80% and 90% of the plastic packaging that reaches the ocean, enters from coastlines in developing regions such as Southeast Asia and this initiative will prevent almost 19 tonnes of plastic from entering the ocean per year – the equivalent of almost 750,000 plastic water bottles. As well as having clear environmental benefits, the use of POP also has societal benefits. The collection of these bottles equates to approximately a years’ worth (374 days) of well-paid work for an average bottle collector in predominantly poor coastal regions across Southeast Asia.

Local Sourcing & Organic Farming

We take pride in building long-term relationships with our Irish suppliers, these home-grown partnerships provide long-term growth for both sides. Since entering the market in 2000, the proportion of our purchases from Irish suppliers has grown year-on-year. Lidl sources millions of euro worth of produce from over 275 suppliers on the island of Ireland. A significant portion of this is destined for the shelves of Lidl supermarkets in Europe and the United States, providing the opportunity for local suppliers to grow their exports into other markets.

Our range of organic products is ever increasing. Our organic farmers and producers adhere to legislative requirements in relation to organic production as well as our own strict internal standards. Organic standards rely on farming practices designed to minimise the impact on the environment, ensuring the agricultural system operates as naturally as possible. Approximately 220 organic products are sold in our stores annually, in our food and non-food ranges. This includes own-brand, branded, seasonal and textile products.

Kick Start

We have invested over €3.3 million since 2017 promoting local businesses through our ‘Kick Start’ initiative – Lidl’s supplier development programme.

Developed in conjunction with Bord Bia the goal of this programme is to support small and mediumsized Irish food, drink and near-food businesses to grow their brand, build their supply network and to see their products on the shelves of the largest retailer in Europe. More than 60 suppliers are selected every year from across the country to participate in the programme. Their products are sold in a limited edition ‘Kick Start’ food promotion across Ireland and Northern Ireland with the aim of those products becoming permanently listed in our assortment.

Fruit & Vegetables

We offer a wide variety of fresh fruit and vegetables all year round, where 37% are sourced locally and to extremely high-quality standards. 100% of our fruit and vegetable are certified to the Bord Bia Sustainable Horticulture Assurance Scheme (SHAS) and/or certified to the GLOBALG.A.P. Fruit and Vegetable standard. We are also on track to reach our target of 100% of our own-brand products to be Bord Bia quality assured or GLOBALG.A.P standard by the end of 2021.

Where possible we source locally but seasonality impacts this and to offer our customers a diverse range of fresh fruit and vegetables all year round we also need to source further afield.

One such item sourced outside Ireland is the Banana which through its farming provides employment to millions of people in developing countries worldwide and is a major source of income. However, workers in this industry often suffer from poor working conditions, low wages and exposure to harmful chemicals. We are pleased to announce that 100% of our banana range now comes from farms either certified to Fairtrade, Organic or Rainforest Alliance standards.

Lidl is developing the first biodiversity focused standard for conventional fruit and vegetable producers. The new standard will be developed as a GLOBALG.A.P. add-on module. Learn more about this exciting project below.

Palm Oil

Did you know that palm oil is used in a wide variety of products, from margarine and chocolate to ice-cream, soaps and cosmetics? Why is palm oil so popular? Aside from the great cooking and natural preservation properties, it is also the highest yielding vegetable crop in the world.

However, the cultivation of palm oil can lead to deforestation which has many negative effects on local communities, biodiversity and protected species. In an attempt to combat this, we support the work of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) who have developed a set of environmental and social standards for the sustainable production of this commodity and the protection of worker’s rights. We are in the process of minimising palm oil in our products where possible and working closely with our suppliers to make sure it is certified to RSPO standards.

Our Commitments and Progress
In terms of using palm oil, 100% of our products are certified to the RSPO Palm Oil standard. While our minimum requirement is mass balance RSPO certified palm oil, we are working with our suppliers to ensure they are moving to segregated palm oil.

  Download our position paper on the sustainable sourcing of Palm Oil

Cocoa

Cocoa farmers face many challenges in the production of our favourite sweet treat. Although prices for cocoa are rising as a result of higher demand, many farmers and growers do not reap the benefits of this. As well as dealing with unfair pay and poor living and working conditions they must also attempt to tackle environmental issues affecting their crops. That’s why we’re committed to supporting internationally recognised organisations in the cultivation of sustainable cocoa.

Our Commitment
100% of the cocoa used in our own-brand products is certified to Fairtrade, UTZ or Rainforest Alliance standards and/or certified as organic– that’s everything from our chocolate bars to the cocoa powder used in our chocolate mini-muffins. We will work closely with our suppliers, both in Ireland and abroad, to ensure that we maintain this target.

Want to learn more about our commitment to sustainable cocoa? Click below to learn more about our Super Fairtrade Hero Product Way To Go!

Coffee

Coffee is one of the most important export products for many developing countries, particularly Brazil, Colombia, Vietnam, and Indonesia. Coffee represents the economic livelihood of 25 million farming households in over 50 countries around the equator.¹

As a result of climate change, the land used to grow coffee is migrating to ever higher mountainous regions, with forests being cut down to create the space required. This means that coffee growing is cultivation with a high risk of deforestation. As coffee is primarily an export good, coffee farmers are exposed to highly volatile global market prices. The payment share received by the coffee farmers in the coffee value chain is low, and operational costs for labour, fertilisers or machinery are on the rise.

Suppliers of Lidl own brands source green coffee predominantly from plantations in Central and South America and Vietnam. Traceability all the way back to the country of origin can be ensured using certification systems, which primarily work with the Segregated or Identity Preserved trading models. Coffee blends and their origin can vary depending on the season and harvest quality.

Our Commitment and Progress
By the end of our financial year 2024, our own-branded coffee pods and drinks will be required to be fully certified to Fairtrade, Rainforest Alliance, or organic standards. For roasted coffee products, as well as coffee capsules and instant coffee, the same certification requirements have been mandatory since the end of our financial year 2022.

¹ INA: Rohstoffexpertise der INA [INA raw material expertise], 2024

¹⁴ Panhuysen & de Vries:Coffee Barometer, 2023.

  Download our position paper on the sustainable sourcing of Coffee

Tea

Tea is probably the country’s best-loved drink. The main countries of cultivation for tea are China and India.¹⁵ It is harvested all year round, thereby providing employment for a large number of people. As a primary employer, tea farmers are faced with various challenges in terms of fair pay and workers’ rights, such as freedom of association or occupational health and safety. Women in particular are exposed to unequal access to land or credit, unequal wages and discrimination or harassment. There is often a lack of opportunities for childcare and schooling, which results in additional risks such as child labour and forced labour, which is also exacerbated by very low wages. A lack of protective equipment is also reported in relation to the use of pesticides on the plantations. ¹⁶

Tea cultivation often forces out biodiverse tropical forest, replacing it with a monoculture with just one plant species. Soil erosion, competition for water, the negative impact of fertiliser use and the need for firewood to operate the drying equipment are just some of the stresses that tea cultivation puts on the environment.

Our Commitment and Progress
In Lidl Ireland, our entire own-branded range of green, black and rooibos tea is required to be certified to Fairtrade or Rainforest Alliance. This also applies to our fruit and herbal tea items, where certified raw material is available.

Each of these standard-setting organisations focus on topics that are important in the production of tea such as promoting good environmental practices and tackling social issues by helping to improve the welfare of those working and living in tea producing communities.

^{15 Statista: Tea production worldwide from 2006-2022, 2024.}

^{16 Mukhopadhyay & Mondal: Cultivation, Improvement, & Environmental Impacts of Tea, 2017.}

  Download our paper on the sustainable sourcing of Tea

Eggs

Currently, we offer a wide range of organic and free-range egg products in each of our stores. By 2025, we will source not only cage-free hen eggs, but we will use only cage-free eggs as ingredients in all our own-brand products. We are committed to working with our current supplier base on the sustainable production of eggs by transitioning towards barn, free-range and organic production methods. Animal welfare is a priority for us, and we work closely with our suppliers to ensure that they can meet our strict audit standards and targets.

36% of eggs sold in our stores in 2020/21 were cage-free. All our eggs are certified to Bord Bia’s Sustainable Egg Assurance Scheme (SEAS). We are committed to working with our current supplier base on the sustainable production of eggs by transitioning towards cage-free barns, free-range and organic production methods.

  Download our position paper on the sustainable sourcing of Eggs

Meat & Poultry

At Lidl, we are committed to quality, and we know that local tastes best. That’s why 100% of our fresh beef, lamb, pork, chicken and duck is sourced on the island of Ireland and certified to the Bord Bia Quality Assurance schemes, meaning that each product is approved to the highest Bord Bia quality standards.

As part of the scheme, farmers are audited against a range of standards from animal health and welfare to traceability, as well as farm safety and environmental management.

These are values that are also important to us and we are proud to offer only the highest quality produce to our customers.

Fish and Seafood

We recognise our role in protecting and preserving the world’s marine ecosystems and safeguarding fish stocks for the future. For this reason, we have developed a buying policy in conjunction with our suppliers and relevant organisations to support the principles of sustainable fishing and aquaculture, and to guarantee a traceable and transparent supply chain.

Our Commitment　
In 2019, we reached our target of sourcing 100% of our own-brand permanent chilled and frozen fish products, from independently certified sustainable fisheries (MSC or recognised Irish FIP’s for wild caught fish and ASC or GLOBAL G.A.P. Aquaculture Standard for farmed fish). We also commit to maintain the responsible sourcing standards for our tuna, and keep offering only tuna that has been sourced using either ‘pole and line’ fishing method; Fish Aggregation Devise (FAD)-free fishing practices or is MSC certified.

  Download our position paper on the Sustainable Sourcing of Fish and Seafood

Textiles

In December 2014, Lidl became the first food retailer to take part in the Greenpeace Detox Campaign. The purpose was to remove potentially harmful substances from the production of its own brand’s textiles and shoes. In 2020, we achieved our aim of having 100% of own-brand textiles made with viscose to be LENZING ECOVERO.

By championing safe, environmentally responsible production methods in our supply chains, we aim to support wider systemic change. By switching to more recyclable materials, we are helping to create a circular economy and by investing in ecological, resource-efficient fibre innovation, we are supporting more sustainable consumption.

The following report outlines Lidl’s strategy and milestones within the campaign but also goals for continually working to improve the social and environmental conditions in the textile and shoe production industry.

  Lidl Detox Commitment Report 2020

Timber and Wood

Timber and wood-based products come from forests, the world’s largest and most important ecosystem.

Unfortunately, many forest are under threat of deforestation and degradation from forest fires, unsustainable logging for timber, clear-cutting for agriculture, ranching and development. At Lidl, we want to ensure that our timber and wood-based articles, viscose fibres and packaging are sourced responsibly. Our goal is to ensure we minimise our environmental and social impact by sourcing from sustainably managed woods, certified labels and from recycled materials.

In 2020, we achieved our goal of having 100% own-brand non-food items made of timber, wood and paper (product and packaging), to be from either recycled wood fibre sources; FSC or PEFC certified sources

Our Commitments

• By 2025, we aim to source all primary, secondary and tertiary packaging from either FSC, PEFC and/or recycled sources

  Sustainable Sourcing of Timber and Wood-Based Products Policy

Plants and Flowers

Ireland’s climate provides ideal growing conditions for a large range of garden and landscape plants, however the flowers and plants industry is global. Most of the plants come from the Netherlands and from countries where climate conditions are more favourable for growing all year around such as Colombia, Ecuador, Kenya and Ethiopia.

We want our buying power to drive positive change for producers, communities and the environment. We work with internationally recognised certifications to ensure that our products are produced with best practices ethically and environmentally.

Our Commitment

• In 2020, we reached our target of sourcing 100% of our flowers and plants certified to environmental (GLOBAL.G.A.P, Bord Bia’s Ornamental Standard, BOOP) and to social standards (Fairtrade, GLOBAL.G.A.P Grasp module, SA 8000).

  Sustainable Sourcing of Plants and Flowers Policy