Lidl initiative aims to cut food waste at Irish stores by 700,000kg

Supermarket chain Lidl is planning to offer consumers up to 90 per cent price reductions on certain perishable food products when they reach their best-before dates, to reduce food waste.

The company’s new “Waste Not” initiative aims to cut food waste at its 200 Irish stores by more than 700,000kg a year.

Customers will see significant price reductions on a range of chilled food products that have reached their best-before date but are still perfectly fresh and fine to eat, Lidl Ireland said.

The reduced products will be clearly displayed and available to customers in a newly-branded area, located in the chilled food section of its stores. Each store will refresh the area once a day to include a wide range of products for purchase.

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Price reductions

Fresh meat, poultry, fish and chilled products such as prepared salads, cooked meats, milk and yoghurts, will all qualify for a price reduction, the company said.

Fresh meat, poultry and fish products priced between €1.29 and €3.49 will reduce to €0.90. Those priced between €3.50 and €8.99 will reduce to €2.00 on their best-before date.

Lidl Ireland said the initiative complements its existing partnership with FoodCloud, established in 2017, which sees surplus fresh fruit, vegetables and ambient products donated to hundreds of local charities.

Since 2017, 1.6 million meals have been donated by Lidl to charities right across the island of Ireland, it said.

"Consumers are increasingly conscious of the products they buy. They consider sustainability and waste before they make a purchasing decision," Deirdre Ryan, head of corporate social responsibility at Lidl Ireland and Northern Ireland, said.

“As one of the country’s largest food retailers, we’re constantly looking for ways to help consumers make sustainable purchases, without compromising on quality and value,” she added.

Minister for Communications, Climate Action and the Environment Richard Bruton said: "Enterprise has a crucial role to play in our drive to manage our resources better and eliminate unnecessary waste.

“One tonne of food wasted results in six tonnes of carbon lost to the world.”