Source: Lidl.de
German discounter Lidl introduces its own eco-logo for packaging
Thomas Reiner | 04.10.2019
Transparency and communication are important elements for any sustainability strategy. The German discounter “Lidl” has introduced a new eco-seal for the packaging of its private-label brand products called “responsible packaging”. Customers should be able to understand what makes the new product packaging more sustainable compared to the previous ones.
The seal will be consequently placed on the front of packaging. To fall into the category of “responsible packaging”, the packaging must meet at least one of four criteria. Which of these sustainability criteria is fulfilled by the respective packaging is indicated by Lidl.
The four criteria at a glance:
– Recyclability of at least 80%
– Recyclate content of at least 30%
– Use of alternative materials
– Saving volume or weight of the packaging material of at least 10%
The new seal is part of the “REset Plastic” strategy, which was introduced by the Lidl parent company “Schwarz Gruppe”. The aim of REset Plastic is to reduce the use of plastic by 20 percent by 2025, and to completely dispense with plastic in the case of private-label packaging.
According to Lidl, the new seal should make improvements in the sustainability of packaging transparent for customers. Even if one has been able to save a considerable amount of plastic since 2018, there is still a long way to go for the company. The renunciation of plastic is not possible overnight. It needs more sustainable solutions and innovations, as the use of plastic can be made more sustainable overall.
The initiative and the new seal of Lidl are certainly another good step in the right direction – even if the criteria for the seal could potentially be set even higher. In any case, the transparency vis-à-vis the consumers, who will learn concretely which sustainability advances the respective packaging has to offer, is to be welcomed.
Transparency and communication are important elements for any sustainability strategy. It’s about more than merely the right material and the saved tons. True sustainability works only where companies truly commit themselves to the topic.
Of course it’s about the packaging. But it’s also about the underlying thinking, about the training and inclusion of employees, about processes and the right communication internally and externally. Sustainability must be holistically conceived and implemented.
