Lidl Ireland successfully completes aluminium cans return scheme trial

The performance of Lidl Ireland's bottle and can deposit return initiative at the retailer's Glenageary location has been lauded. The initiative, which began 11 weeks ago, is a first in Ireland and aims to encourage consumers to recycle plastic and aluminium garbage. Lidl Ireland claims that their reverse vending machine has gathered over 64,000 plastic bottles and aluminium cans from consumers and has given back over €6,400 in vouchers to date.

The shop claims that the experiment at its Glenageary location was successful, with collections exceeding those of several of the European competitors. Customers receive a €0.10 coupon for each unit put in the vending machine, with a maximum voucher limit of €2. Lidl Ireland's specific equipment can collect and process up to 17,000 units each week.

J.P. Scally, the CEO of Lidl Ireland and Northern Ireland, said the firm has been overwhelmed by customer response to the initiative.

“Sustainability is at the core of our business, and while we were delighted to be first-to-market with this industry-leading approach to a deposit return scheme, we are overwhelmed by the participation from our customers,” said J.P. Scally.

“We have already made significant progress against our own targets of an overall plastic reduction of 20 per cent across our own-brand packaging by 2022 by substituting all single use plastic items such as drinking straws, disposable cups, glasses and plates with non-plastic alternatives. We have also removed all plastic microbeads from our own-brand cosmetics and household cleaning products. By the end of this year we are committed to eliminating all non-recyclable black plastic from our own-brand products,” added J.P. Scally