Lidl is the first retailer in Ireland to announce the introduction of reusable fruit and veg bags across all 162 stores nationwide. The reusable fruit and veg bags can give customers a sustainable choice while helping to reduce plastic use and waste.
The Green Bags, which will set you back 99c for two, provide customers with an affordable, reusable alternative to single-use, small fruit and vegetable bags. They come into effect from September.
This move is one of many steps that the retailer is taking as part of its plastic reduction strategy. To date since its arrival in Ireland, Lidl have introduced numerous additional loose options, bringing the overall loose lines to approximately 20% of the range.
In April, Lidl become the first Irish retailer to offer customers in-store recycling stations nationwide to reduce packaging waste bought in-store.
Last year, Lidl also discontinued the sale of single-use plastic items including drinking straws, disposable plates, cups and cutlery, with plastic-stemmed cotton buds next on the list in the coming months.
The single-use plastic items are being replaced with biodegradable alternatives, saving 2.2 million straws and 1.6 million plastic plates and cups and 75.1 million individual cotton buds from Lidl s 162 stores across Ireland annually.
Deirdre Ryan, Head of CSR at Lidl Ireland commented: ‘We are delighted to be the first Irish retailer to introduce reusable bags for loose fruit and veg for our customers. This announcement is the latest step on our journey to tackle the important issue of plastic waste. We have already implemented several plastic waste reduction initiatives such as our recycling stations in stores, ending the sale of many single use plastic items and the removal of unrecyclable black plastics from numerous categories across our range. We re proud to be leading the Irish retail sector in implementing sustainable initiatives that benefit our environment, our communities and our customers. We re grateful for our customers support on this journey and hope that they support this latest initiative as we continue to respond to their concerns about plastic waste.”
