SUPERMARKET chain Lidl is to roll out a new waste initiative across its 39 stores in the north.
The German retailer has said shoppers can expect to see up to 90 per cent price reductions on a range of fresh and chilled food products before they reach the ‘best before’ date.
It expects the move to cut around 137,000kg of annual food waste.
The ‘waste not’ scheme will include fresh meat, poultry, fish, and chilled products such as prepared salads, cooked meats, milk and yoghurts.
It follows Lidl’s move two years ago to link up with FloodCloud to distribute fresh food and vegetables to charities. The supermarket chain said some 400,000 meals have been donated since 2017.
Deidre Ryan, head of corporate social responsibility at Lidl on the island said: “Consumers are increasingly conscious of the products they buy. They consider sustainability and waste before they make a purchasing decision.
“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.
“Other recent sustainability initiatives to support our customers include; the introduction of reusable fruit and vegetable bags in store, the installation of customer recycling bins and now through ‘waste not’, we are empowering consumers to make green choices, thus reducing our contribution to Ireland’s food waste stream.”
