LIDL has become the first major supermarket in Northern Ireland to implement a roll out of a major new initiative aimed at reducing food waste and bringing savings to shoppers at its 41 stores.
Its 'Waste Not' boxes, priced at £2.50, will contain at least 5kg of mixed 'wonky' fruit and vegetables.
The products are perfectly good to eat but have been separated from other products which have become slightly damaged and removed from multi-packs.
The boxes are seen as a solution for those looking to achieve a balance of eating a healthy diet while also saving money, with the approximate full retail value of the produce in each box being up to £7.
The content of the boxes will be picked and packed daily by Lidl’s in-store green leaders, who conduct freshness checks on fresh produce four times a day.
Boxes will be available to customers daily until stocks last every day, at which point, any leftover boxes will be given to local good causes through Lidl’s surplus food redistribution partnership with FoodCloud.
Robert Ryan, chief operating officer at Lidl Ireland and Northern Ireland said: “This initiative is a great way for customers to eat healthily at an affordable price.
“Crucially, it plays a significant role in our overarching sustainability strategy and helps protect the planet and our local communities by helping combat the important issue of fresh food going to landfill.
“We have a dedicated team of green leaders who will ensure that the fruit and veg that make it to the boxes are of the highest quality that customers have come to expect when shopping with Lidl Northern Ireland, and we look forward to seeing more shoppers benefit from this scheme which has already been so well received.”
