The famous German supermarket chain in Ireland, Lidl launches a new plan to contribute to tackle the issue of plastic waste in the country. Lidl becomes the first supermarket in the country to offer vouchers to customers who return plastic bottles or cans to the store.
The move follows the government’s plan to announce national deposit return scheme which is to be introduced next year as a way to increase recycling and reduce litter. As per the plan by Lidl, customers will be able to deposit used cans or bottles to a machine to be set up at each store by the end of 2023. They will get a voucher of 10c for each bottle and up to €2. These vouchers can be used to purchase goods from Lidl stores.
17,000 bottles can be deposited in a single machine per week and the company hopes it will help 1,500 tonnes of plastic to be reused every year through their 170 stores across the island.