Lidl GB announces its own-label tea bags will become fully plant-based and compostable in a move it estimates will stop up to 800 million tea bags from landfill.
The teabag’s material is a plant-based plastic, polylactic acid (PLA), Lidl says, and the change will be made across all of Lidl GB’s own-brand tea range. The move follows a recent announcement from the discounter to transition its milk range to clear caps.
Shyam Unarket, Head of Responsible Sourcing and Ethical Trade at Lidl GB, commented: “Those buying tea bags from Lidl are supporting our efforts to reduce single-use plastic going to landfill. We understand that even a few small changes to our products can benefit our customers while helping us improve our impact on the planet – one cup at a time.”
Those buying tea bags from Lidl are supporting our efforts to reduce single-use plastic going to landfill.
Lidl says its new compostable tea bags will be rolled out in store over the coming months while existing stock gradually sells through. The announcement is part of Lidl’s ongoing efforts to reduce its own-label plastic packaging by 40% by the end of 2025.
Other recent initiatives include introducing new vacuum-packed, recyclable packaging across its beef mince range, which Lidl says resulted in a 63% plastic reduction.
Earlier this year, WWF (World Wildlife Federation) announced that Lidl GB became the first discounter to sign WWF’s Retailers’ Commitment for Nature, which is an agreement to work with WWF to halve the environmental impact of the average UK shopping basket by 2030.