Timed alongside the commencement of Food Waste Action Week, Lidl GB is launching a series of initiatives designed to enhance its food waste reduction capabilities, following its ambitious new target.
In an effort to refine its approach, the supermarket will extend its existing partnership with Neighbourly to trial the charity’s ‘Surplus Saviours’ initiative this summer in the Midlands. This program enables registered individuals—ranging from charity volunteers to customers—to collect unsold surplus food.
By utilizing longer collection times and providing access to fresh and chilled items nearing their use-by date later in the evening, the scheme aims to redistribute over 5,000 tonnes of food throughout the region. This aligns with broader food distribution trends focusing on sustainability.
Additionally, Lidl collaborates closely with global environmental action NGO WRAP to identify practical, data-driven methods for reducing waste in the food and beverage industry.
“At Lidl, we set ambitious targets that challenge how we operate and inspire innovation when it comes to food waste,” stated Matt Juden-Bloomfield, head of sustainability at Lidl GB.
“We’ve made good strides, but we know we can do more. With that in mind, we have increased our targets to ensure we remain accountable and also introduced some exciting new trials to take things to the next level. We remain committed to accelerating our progress in this space and collaborating closely with our industry peers to drive lasting impact for both the environment and the communities we are at the heart of.”
Improvements in Lidl’s baking section have also contributed to a reduction in food waste, successfully aligning product volumes with daily demand; last year, bakery-related waste saw a 30% decrease. This is a testament to ongoing food manufacturing trends focused on efficiency.
To further mitigate food waste, the Lidl Plus app currently provides customers with a 20% discount on all in-store bakery items after 7 PM, catering to food consumer trends.
Moreover, Lidl has strengthened its circular economy initiatives with a new animal feed trial in the Peterborough region. This trial will repurpose inedible fresh bakery products into animal feed, enhancing overall food processing technology.
“For the past 10 years, Lidl GB has been an active and engaged signatory of WRAP’s UK Food & Drink Pact. It has been fantastic seeing them offer loose fruits and vegetables and adopting best practice labelling,” added Estelle Herszenhorn, director of food system transformation at WRAP.
“Both practices help shoppers reduce their household food waste. In-store, Lidl GB’s initiative on matching bakery products with demand aligns with WRAP’s priority of preventing food waste before it occurs. We are delighted to see increased paths for redistribution where food is surplus—a move WRAP also encourages.”