100 Percent Recycled Plastic
Since 2021, all single-use PET bottles produced by the companies of Schwarz Produktion for the private labels Saskia (Lidl) and K-Classic (Kaufland) in Germany have been made from 100 percent recycled plastic, except for the cap and label. This is one of the main reasons why Schwarz Produktion’s closed-loop bottle is one of the most eco-friendly bottles when compared with similar reusable bottles on the market. This was the conclusion reached by the Institute for Energy and Environmental Research Heidelberg (ifeu) in a life cycle assessment performed in accordance with ISO14040/44. The reasons for this are the bottle body, which is made of 100 percent recycled material, the low weight, and the low transport emissions.
Avoiding New Plastic, Reducing Emissions
Since 2021, all single-use PET bottles used for the Lidl and Kaufland private labels in Germany have been made of 100 percent recycled material, with the exception of the bottle caps and labels. The recycled material is reprocessed into bottle bodies in the form of granulate. By using recycled material, we saved an impressive 65,000 tons of new plastic and 109,000 tons of CO₂ in the 2024 fiscal year. This keeps valuable resources in the loop and protects the environment.
The companies of Schwarz Group cover all stages of the PET bottle loop in Germany:
- Collection: The process is based on our sophisticated collection infrastructure with single-use bottle deposit machines in the stores where customers can return their empty PET bottles.
- Sorting and Recycling: The collected bottles are sorted and recycled.
- Production of New Bottles: The recycled materials are used to produce new PET bottle bodies that are made of 100 percent recycled material.
- Filling and Sale: The bottles are filled by Schwarz Produktion and sold through our retail divisions Lidl and Kaufland.
