Lidl is to stop using black plastic across its fruit and vegetable range, which it reckons with save about 50 tonnes of black plastic waste a year.
Black plastic packaging is not recyclable in the UK, as it cannot be detected by the sorting systems used for plastic recycling.
It is being removed from products including mushrooms, baby sweet corn, asparagus, broccoli and cauliflower, with the process due to be completed this month (September).
The supermarket has also committed to removing black plastic from its fresh meat, fish and poultry range by August 2019.
Commercial board director Ryan McDonnell said: “This significant move away from black plastic demonstrates our dedication to tackling this important topic. We recognise the current challenge that black plastic presents to the recycling industry, which is why we have made it our priority to remove it from our fresh ranges.
“As part of our commitment to achieving our ambitious targets, we are continually exploring opportunities to cut our packaging, and where packaging is necessary to protect food and minimise food waste, we will ensure that it is reusable, refillable or recyclable.”
Lidl is continuing to test and trial more loose fruit and veg across its fresh produce range, and is in the process of trialling the removal of packaging from onions, cabbages and lettuces.
