Plastic-free cucumber from Lidl

As part of their work to reduce the use of plastic, Lidl decided in 2020 to support the startup company Saveggy through the Lidl Future Initiative program, in their development of a plastic-free solution for fruit and vegetables. The thin plant-based protection, which will replace the plastic film, consists of rapeseed and oat oil and is gluten-free.

– It is our ambition to reduce the use of plastic. By selling Swedish cucumber without plastic, we would save over 15,000 kilos of plastic a year, even if we only offer it in Lidl stores. At the same time, the durability and quality of the cucumber is just as good as with plastic wrap, says Anneli Bylund, Head of Sustainability at Lidl Sweden.

After conducting several different tests together with Saveggy and the producer Sydgrönt, the plastic-free cucumber was sold on trial in one store this spring, receiving positive feedback from consumers.

–  A large part of the positive feedback we received was specifically about the reduction of plastic. This is a sustainability issue that we see becoming increasingly important for Swedish consumers, says Anneli Bylund, Head of Sustainability at Lidl Sweden.

At the beginning of 2025, Lidl plans to continue its test sales and move forward with commercialization. The goal is to offer Swedish cucumbers entirely without plastic wrap in all their stores during 2025.

Reduced use of resources and environmental impact
By reducing the amount of packaging material, the total environmental impact from production is also reduced, as less raw material, energy, and water are required in manufacturing. Smaller packaging amounts can also result in cost savings in terms of packaging fees, materials, and production.

”NPA the obvious choice”
Näringslivets Producentansvar (NPA) offers affiliated customers support and advice in all matters relating to producer responsibility for packaging.

— NPA erbjuder ett bra stöd för frågor kring förpackningar, förpackningsutveckling och hur vi bäst och korrekt rapporterar. Vi har vår personliga kontaktperson att vända oss till och då får vi alltid snabba och kompetenta svar. Som delägare i NPA är det självklart att de är vårt val av producentansvarsorganisation, avslutar Anneli Bylund.

NPA offers good support for issues related to packaging, packaging development, and how we best and correctly report. We have our personal contact to turn to, and we always get quick and competent responses. As co-owners of NPA, it’s obvious that they are our producer responsibility organisation of choice, concludes Anneli Bylund.