Work was carried out in several teams along the river and its banks. A significant amount of waste was removed from the water – including a 25-year-old ketchup bottle. These findings highlighted how long waste remains in nature and the lasting impact it has on sensitive ecosystems.

Rivers and their banks are vital habitats for animals and plants. Yet in many places, they are affected by human activity. In Estonia, Lidl employees joined forces with other volunteers to take part in a clean-up initiative organised by the Estonian Fund for Nature. The team cleared a section of the Jänijõgi River of waste to improve the condition of the local habitat. 

This voluntary action is part of Lidl Estonia's local engagement—implemented on the ground, in partnership, to make a direct contribution to the preservation of our ecosystems.

Promoting species-rich forest structures is an integral part of Lidl's biodiversity strategy. In the Czech Republic, this commitment was demonstrated through the "Lidl Les" ("Lidl Forests") initiative. The goal was to strengthen forests where original woodland had been lost, to reforest them, and thereby promote resilient, diverse forest structures in the long term.

The project is completed, but the planted trees remain. With a total of around one million newly planted trees, Lidl has made a measurable contribution to reforestation, supporting the resilience of Czech forests against climate change.

Over a period of four years, Lidl Czechia supported the planting of around 250,000 coniferous and deciduous trees per year. Implementation took place in cooperation with LČR ('Forests of the Czech Republic'), the largest manager of protected areas and main partner of nature conservation organizations in the Czech Republic. LČR manages forests in accordance with the international forest certification system PEFC (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification). Customers were able to participate in the selection of locations via the Lidl app and win attractive prizes. Lidl employees directly supported tree-planting events on site.

Wetlands are ecological multi-talents. They slow down water runoff so that nutrients and sediments can settle or be absorbed by plants – instead of entering rivers and seas unfiltered. During heavy rain, they absorb peak flood levels; in dry periods, they release stored water. They also create habitats for amphibians, water birds, insects, and countless plant species.

Healthy wetlands are vibrant natural treasures. They are not only home to countless plants, waterfowl, and insects, but also fulfill a vital role for our water bodies. However, for decades, many of these valuable areas were drained for agriculture and forestry. In Snappertuna, near the Finnish city of Raseborg, Lidl Finland and WWF are now taking a concrete step: by fully funding a three-hectare area, we are enabling the creation of a new forest wetland. The new wetland is intended to act like a natural filter and retain nutrients before they reach the Baltic Sea.

The wetland is being created as part of the partnership between Lidl Finland and WWF and financed through a direct donation from Lidl Finland. Furthermore, customers have been able to donate a portion of their deposit amount directly to WWF at the reverse vending machines to support local nature conservation projects – approximately 85,000 euros had already been collected in the financial year 2025. With these donations, WWF protects endangered species such as the willow tit, the lesser white-fronted goose, the Saimaa ringed seal and migratory fish, as well as their habitats.

The goal is to gradually establish the “BioDiversity Add-on” among European fruit and vegetable producers. In 2025, more than 1,200 producers were already implementing the add-on across over 12,000 hectares of agricultural land in various European countries. Participating farms commit to managing at least 3% of their land in ways that promote biodiversity – with the aim of increasing this share to 10% by 2030. In this way, biodiversity is progressively embedded more firmly in agricultural practice.

Together with partners from the fruit and vegetable supply chain, GLOBALG.A.P. and other partners such as the Lake Constance Foundation, Lidl has co-developed the „BioDiversity Add-on“. It is the first industry-wide standard for biodiversity in conventional fruit and vegetable farming, designed as an add-on to the GLOBALG.A.P. Integrated Farm Assurance Standard (IFA). It has been available to all market participants since 2022.

The loss of biodiversity is one of the key ecological challenges of our time. As a provider of fresh fruit and vegetables, Lidl is committed to improving how agricultural land is managed. That is why Lidl is actively involved in the further development of agricultural standards – with the goal of systematically embedding biodiversity in conventional farming as well.