Lidl has become the first UK supermarket to announce the removal of black plastic from its entire fruit and vegetable range, as the anti-plastic movement in the sector continues to gather pace.
As part of a plan to make 100 per cent of its own-brand plastic packaging recyclable, reusable or refillable, the discounter has revealed plans to scrap the black plastic altogether saving an estimated 50 tonnes of plastic waste a year.
It will replace the black plastic, which is non-recyclable as it cannot be detected in sorting systems, with a recyclable alternative, and plans to remove black plastic from its fish and poultry ranges by August 2019.
“Supermarkets are the place where a lot of the throwaway plastic filling up our homes comes from, so it’s good to see more of them are responding to the public’s concern by taking action,” Greenpeace UK’s senior oceans campaigner Louise Edge said.
“Black plastic is one of the most problematic forms of plastic you can find on supermarket shelves, and Lidl are doing the right thing by phasing it out as quickly as possible.
“This is a clear signal to both our government and other major retailers that we don’t have to wait decades before getting rid of problem plastic. This is only a start, but the faster we act the easier it will be to protect our environment from the scourge of plastic waste.”
This comes amid a growing movement in the grocery sector, with the UK’s largest retailers seemingly competing to outdo each other in removing plastics from their supply chain.
Earlier this week Waitrose announced that it would scrap single use plastic bags entirely over the next year.
This follows Morrisons launch of a plastic bottle return vending machine pilot scheme, while Iceland pledged to abolish plastic packaging within five years.
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