Lidl has become the first supermarket to roll out its own bottle return scheme trial. Launching February 8th, shoppers in Glasgow can enjoy unlimited cash rewards in return for empty PET plastic and aluminium drinks containers via in-store reverse vending machines.
Rolling out across all 21 of its Glasgow stores, with potential to roll out further, shoppers will receive a 5p reward for each eligible item that they return. This can either be redeemed against their shopping or donated to Lidl’s long-standing charity partner, The STV Children’s appeal, which it has been supporting since 2011.
Incentivising shoppers to play a part in reducing plastic pollution, there is no cap on the number of items that can be returned, and the discounter will accept qualifying bottles and cans purchased from any retailer, as long as they are clean and uncrushed*.
The launch comes after Scottish Government delayed the introduction of its Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) from its original go-live date of 16 August 2023. Lidl’s own scheme will ensure that shoppers can continue to benefit from the infrastructure that had already been put in place by the discounter.
Unlike DRS, the discounter’s bottle return scheme does not place a deposit on the retail price of the original product.
