Discount giant Lidl has introduced a 'rescue bag' (Rettertüte) for less than perfect fruit and vegetables across its German outlets in a bid to prevent food waste.
The rescue bags are available for a discounted standard price of €3 each.
Fruit And Veg Rescue Bags
Around 11 million tonnes of food end up in the trash in Germany every year, according to a report from the Federal Statistical Office in June 2022.
Retail accounts for 7% of food waste in Germany, Lidl noted.
The rescue bag, which weighs up to five kilograms, contains various types of fruit and vegetables, including, among others, items with damaged packaging or specific products that need to be sorted.
The rollout will take place in all of the Lidl Germany stores following a pilot phase in one regional company.
Commenting on the initiative, Christian Härtnagel, CEO of Lidl Germany, said, "With the Rette mich (Save Me) and Rettertüte concepts, we want to work together with our customers to specifically save food. Particularly in the case of fruit and vegetables, losses can quickly occur, which we reduce by offering less than perfect products at heavily discounted prices.
"Food belongs on the plate and not in the garbage can. Every piece of food that is not thrown away is a success for us, the environment, and the climate. With the rescue bag, we are creating another building block for our sustainability strategy."
Sustainability Strategy
Lidl Germany has anchored the prevention of food losses within its Lidl sustainability strategy for 2030.
By 2025, the company aims to reduce food waste and organic waste by 30% under the strategic umbrella of Lidl Food Rescue.
Since the end of 2020, products with short expiration dates have been offered at a discount in green 'I'm still good' boxes throughout Germany and successfully sold.
In addition to the Rette mich campaign, other initiatives along the value chain include needs-based ordering of goods through an efficient merchandise management system, targeted cooperation with suppliers, partnership with food banks, and the recycling of food that is no longer fit for consumption in biogas plants.
© 2022 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest fresh produce news. Article by Conor Farrelly. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine.
