Lidl, a UK supermarket, recently announced their revolutionary move to incorporate Prevented Ocean Plastic into their one-litre San Celestino Italian Sparkling Mineral Water bottles, making them the first UK supermarket to do so. The bottles will contain a minimum of 30% Prevented Ocean Plastic and will be available in stores throughout July. Lidl estimates that this initiative will prevent almost 100 tonnes of plastic from entering our oceans annually.
The Prevented Ocean Plastic packaging is supplied and developed in partnership with Bantam Materials. It is made using discarded water bottles that are found within 30 miles of a coastline or waterway that feeds into the ocean in Southeast Asia. After being sorted and processed, the waste is used for packaging.
Shyam Unarket, the head of responsible sourcing and ethical trade at Lidl GB, expressed his concern about ocean plastic pollution, “it is expected that by 2050 there could be more plastic in the ocean than fish.” He added, “As pioneers of integrating ocean bound plastic into our packaging in 2020, we have been consistently building and improving on our efforts since, and are proud to now extend Prevented Ocean Plastic into water bottles. Through this latest product development, we hope to inspire wider efforts across the industry.”
This remarkable move by Lidl is an inspiration for the industry to take responsibility and join forces in minimizing plastic waste in the oceans. Lidl’s decision to incorporate Prevented Ocean Plastic in their product line clearly demonstrates their commitment to the environment. With their trailblazing initiatives, Lidl is setting an example for others to follow.
