REset Plastic: The Schwarz Group Increases its Recyclate Objective to 25 Percent

However, we are not only reducing the use of plastic wherever possible but are also increasing our focus on promoting the circular economy and the associated use of recyclate.

The Schwarz Group is making great strides towards its ambitious objectives for its group-wide plastics strategy REset Plastic. On the occasion of the Global Commitment 2021 Progress Report of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, whose initiative the Schwarz Group already joined in 2018, the corporate group takes stock of its objectives and achievements to date.

The report states that numerous sustainable optimization measures have contributed to an average of 13 percent less plastic being used in the private label packaging of the Lidl and Kaufland retail divisions across all countries – for example, by eliminating disposable plastic lids on 500-gram yogurt cups or by using recyclable stickers instead of bags in the fruit and vegetable sector. Already today, 38 percent of all fruit and vegetable items at Lidl and 57 percent at Kaufland are offered unpackaged.

However, we are not only reducing the use of plastic wherever possible but are also increasing our focus on promoting the circular economy and the associated use of recycled materials.

Milestone to date in the Use of Recycled Materials in the Schwarz Group

• Currently, 10 percent recyclate is already used in all private label plastic packaging in the Schwarz Group across all countries – at Lidl Germany it is 19 percent, at Kaufland Germany 16 percent (as of fiscal year 2020).
• Since June 2021, all the disposable private label PET bottles of Lidl and Kaufland in Germany produced by Schwarz Produktion are made of 100 percent* recycled plastic.
• Promotional private label household goods at Lidl and Kaufland are made from 100 percent** recyclate – an offering that we will continue to expand.

In light of this, we are now going one step further and increasing our group-wide recyclate objective: By 2025, the Schwarz Group aims to use an average of 25 percent recyclate in the private label packaging of the Lidl and Kaufland retail brands.

The interim report demonstrates that we as the Schwarz Group are consistently driving forward our vision of "Less plastic – closed loops" and are focusing on the responsible use of plastics, from production and retail to disposal and recycling. With this, the Schwarz Group is positioning itself as a pioneer in the field of circular economy.

* excluding lid and label
** Plastic content (approx. 95 percent) of the product is 100 percent recycled plastic, additional use of additives and color (approx. 5 percent).

Find further information on REset Plastic: reset-plastic.com/en
Find further information on Ellen MacArthur Foundation: https://plastics.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/upstream