Two grams less plastic per yoghurt cup—a small change, but with a measurable impact. This example shows that even the smallest adjustment in resource use matters, especially for products sold in the millions. We spoke with Michael Janzer, Head of Ecology at Lidl International, about how we are optimising packaging.
Because packaging is much more than just a wrapper. It protects the product, carries important information, and creates the first impression for our customers. At the same time, it determines the use of materials and raw materials. That is why we examine every package closely: where can we reduce material? Where can we use recycled content? And how can we make recycling even easier? For us, packaging is a key lever to integrate resource efficiency into everyday store operations.
It is a true team effort. We start with an analysis: where is the greatest potential? Then we bring together the right people: product managers from procurement, our sustainability experts, the design team, logistics and, of course, our suppliers. Everyone contributes their perspective. Together, we develop solutions that ultimately work for everyone.
"We have achieved our ambitious targets: by 2025, we reduced the use of virgin plastic in our private label packaging by ten percent compared to 2018 and now use 30 percent less plastic overall compared to baseline year 2017. At the same time, we are consistently working to further expand the share of recycled material—for example, through minimum quotas for recycled content in our PET bottles."
Above all, packaging must do one thing: protect the product. At the same time, it should use as little material as possible, be easy to recycle and meet all legal requirements—across more than 30 countries. This often requires suppliers to adapt production processes or even retool machinery. That cannot happen overnight. But we are convinced that if everyone pulls together, significant progress is possible. We have achieved our ambitious targets: by 2025, we reduced the use of virgin plastic in our private label packaging by 10% and now use 30% less plastic overall. At the same time, we are continuously increasing the share of recycled material—for example, through minimum quotas for recycled content in our PET bottles.
One of my favourite examples is the 1-kilogram yoghurt bucket from our private label brand Milbona. Together with our supplier Naabtaler Milchwerke, we optimised the packaging in 2023—saving around 500 tonnes of plastic per year. We are currently also working with Naabtaler on using 3.8% recycled polystyrene in our natural yoghurt. The tests have already been completed.
