Lidl Great Britain (GB) has revealed that all its own-brand tea bags are set to become fully compostable, helping tea enthusiasts nationwide make more sustainable shopping choices.
The move means customers can enjoy their favourite cup of tea knowing they can dispose of the tea bags in food or green waste bins. The transition to fully compostable tea bags is expected to divert up to 800 million per year from traditional waste bins and landfill.
The material - a plant-based plastic polylactic acid (PLA), not only ensures the composability of the tea bags but also maintains the exceptional quality and flavour that Lidl customers expect. From its Deluxe Fairtrade Assam Tea (£1.09) to its Knightsbridge Gold Blend Tea (£1.19) or Knightsbridge Red Label Tea (£2.39), the change will be made across all of Lidl GB’s own-brand tea range.
In line with its broader commitment to improving the recyclability of its products, the move follows a recent announcement from the discounter to transition its milk range to clear caps. These combined efforts mean that shoppers can savour every cup of tea, knowing they’re helping to reduce the amount of single-use plastic going to landfill.
Shyam Unarket, Head of Responsible Sourcing and Ethical Trade at Lidl GB, said those buying tea bags from Lidl support the retailer’s efforts to reduce single-use plastic going to landfills.
“We understand that even a few small changes to our products can benefit our customers while helping us improve our impact on the planet, one cup at a time,” said Unarket.
Lidl’s new compostable tea bags will land in store over the coming months while existing stock gradually sells through. The announcement is part of Lidl’s ongoing efforts to reduce its own-label plastic packaging by 40 percent by the end of 2025.
Other recent initiatives include becoming the first UK supermarket to incorporate Prevented Ocean Plastic into its water bottles and announcing plans to introduce new vacuum-packed, recyclable packaging across its beef mince range, resulting in a plastic reduction of almost two-thirds (63 percent).
