By 2025, German retail giant Schwarz Group said it plans to use at least 25% recycled materials in the own-brand packaging of its retail chains Lidl and Kaufland. With this move, the group of companies headed by multi-billionaire Dieter Schwarz and considered to be the largest retail organisation in Europe is expanding the goals of its “REset Plastic” strategy.

For the “Global Commitment 2021 Progress Report” published recently by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation (see Plasteurope.com of 29.11.2021), the group took stock of its overall plastics strategy, which has included a reduction in primary polymer use and the increased deployment of recycled alternatives since 2018, the year it became a member of foundation’s initiative. The retailer said 10% recyclate is currently used in all own-brand plastic packaging across all countries, noting that for fiscal 2020, the rate is 19% at Lidl Germany and 16% for Kaufland Germany.

In addition, all Lidl and Kaufland labelled disposable PET deposit bottles in Germany have been made of 100% recycled plastics since June 2021. Together with the waste disposal firm PreZero (Neckarsulm / Germany; www.prezero.com), Lidl and Kaufland offer customers own-brand household goods made of 100% recycled material in special promotions, a programme the parent intends to expand in the future.

In total, measures implemented so far have contributed to an average 13% reduction in plastics use for own-brand packaging across all countries from 2017 to 2020, the company said. For example, disposable plastic lids were eliminated for 500 g yoghurt pots, and recyclable stickers are used for fruit and vegetables instead of polybags. Beyond this, according to the group, 38% of all fruit and vegetable items at Lidl are unpackaged. At Kaufland, that proportion is 57%.