Spearheading sustainability

Lidl are fully committed to ensuring that their buying power is driving positive change for producers,communities and the environment as a whole, both in Ireland and further afield. Whether it is beef bought here in Ireland or bananas bought in the Dominican Republic, they are driving on-farm sustainability and tackling topics such as plastic reductions.

Responsible sourcing

All of Lidl’s bananas are responsibly sourced and certified to sustainability programmes, such as Rainforest Alliance, Fairtrade and Organic. Lidl is the leading retailer in Ireland for Fairtrade and Organic banana sales.Working in conjunction with their Irish supplier Global Fruit, Lidl has been sourcing their bananas from a family business called Fresh Fruit in the Dominican Republic for over 10 years. The family business, Fresh Fruit, has been growing organic bananas for 15 years.

Their plantation, Paradise Produce in the Northern town of Guayubin, is a Fairtrade plantation ensuring that Irish consumers are contributing to fair pricing and sustainable development in the Dominican Republic.

Plastic packaging

Lidl has been working towards ambitious commitments in relation to plastic packaging reductions and increasing the recyclability of its materials.Taking this challenge in hand, the banana suppliers, Global Fruit and Fresh Fruit, developed an innovative solution to remove the plastic packaging on the 2.5 million Fairtrade Organic bananas sourced in the Dominican Republic for Lidl customers. The biodegradable banding,with a natural adhesive, completely eliminates plastic and holds the product in bunches with the Fairtrade, Organic messaging, and barcode. It is the first solution of its kind in Ireland and it minimises plastic volumes by 10,000 kilos yearly.

Fairtrade and Sustainability On-Farm

Trade in bananas is a cornerstone of the economies of many developing countries. However, the social problems can be complex and can range from low wages to bad conditions. Fairtrade ensures that farmers receive a fair price for their bananas and that the premium is invested back into the communities. In the Dominican Republic, the Fairtrade premium is used to support banana workers‘ livelihoods , which can amount to between one and two months extra wages. The Fairtrade premium contributions of Lidl customers also support a primary school in Mao Valverde, providing high-quality education to more than 50 children through a project called Bambini

THIS YEAR LIDL HAS MADE THE FOLLOWING PLASTIC PACKAGING COMMITMENTS:

• By 2022, Lidl will reduce plastic packaging volumes by 20%
• By 2025, 100% of own-brand packaging will be widely recyclable, reusable, or renewable
• By 2025, 50% of material used in own- brand packaging will come from recycled materials.
• They have banned microbeads from cosmetic and household products
• By the end of 2019, Lidl will discontinue the sale of single use plastic items, including plastic
drinking straws, disposable cups and glasses, plates and cutlery and plastic-stemmed cotton buds

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