Slimming Down with a Scaling Effect
In order to reduce the plastic our retail divisions consume worldwide for transportation and storage, Lidl began as early as 2015 to switch to a narrower, thinner stretch film for wrapping ingoing and outgoing goods. This change may seem small when you look at a single sheet of film but given that approximately 3.1 million rolls per year that are needed worldwide at Lidl alone, the impact becomes enormous.
The initiative has succeeded in saving roughly 524 tons of plastic per year. Not only that, the plastic wrap is 100% recyclable, and after it's used, we collect it in our warehouses and bring it back into our internal recycling loop.
Kaufland Folding Pallet Saves Film Used in Logistics Process
Since 2020, Kaufland has been using innovative foldable metal pallets for transport and the subsequent stocking of goods in its warehouses and stores in Germany and Slovakia.
The stable side walls of the load carriers have made it possible to reduce the use of plastic film by up to 50% and to save approximately 250 tons of film a year.
Like Clockwork
We've also been able to establish a transport solution that brings high material savings during the commissioning of fruits and vegetables. Here, Lidl Germany uses a cord instead of the usual stretch film.
As a result, film consumption has dropped by approximately 85 percent and the annual need for plastic has decreased by roughly 428 tons.
E-Commerce - Packaging is also State-of-the-Art
However, we are not just paying close attention to reducing plastic consumption and increasing recyclability for securing products in our stores and warehouses. Among other things, we have also introduced recyclable shipping bags made of80 percent recyclate in our e-commerce business. Initiatives such as these are essential for sustainable growth in the growing e-commerce sector with its high demand for packaging material.
