Lidl Hellas

   "Plastic Free Greece" is a global message of sustainable development for our country, aiming to raise awareness about marine pollution caused by plastic waste through coastal and underwater cleanup activities.

It is an opportunity for all stakeholders to adopt a more responsible way of operating, acting, and consuming. An opportunity for the environment.

The underwater and coastal cleanup actions are part of REset Plastic, our international plastic strategy launched in 2018 by the Schwarz Group, with the vision of “Less Plastic – Closed Loops of Raw Materials.” Lidl Hellas participates in this initiative, specifically in the action areas of REmove, REduce, and REcycle.

The plastic strategy includes five action areas:

REduce / Reduction
REdesign / Redesign
REcycle / Recycling
REmove / Removal
REsearch / Research

As one of the largest food retail companies, Lidl Hellas recognizes its responsibility in protecting the environment and is therefore actively committed to reducing the excessive use of plastic. It was the first to permanently remove single-use plastics such as straws, cups, plates, cutlery, and cotton swabs from its stores on December 31, 2019, and eliminated black plastic—which is difficult to recycle—from all private label product packaging by the end of 2021.

Additionally, Lidl Hellas is committed by 2025 to:

Reducing plastic use by 30%
Achieving an average of 25% recycled plastic content
Ensuring maximum recyclability for 100% of private label product packaging.

The Plastic Free Greece campaign has a strategic goal to raise awareness and activate civil society at both local and national levels, so that citizens realize the necessity of reducing excessive plastic use and promoting recycling. This is essential for conserving natural resources and shifting production toward a circular economy model.

With Plastic Free Greece, we aimed to spark environmental awareness regarding the reduction of excessive plastic use throughout Greece and to gradually mobilize all regions of the country.

 The initiative began in June 2020 in Santorini and continues this year for the sixth consecutive year. 

On the path to a better tomorrow and with a vision of a country free from plastic waste, Lidl Hellas and the Athanasios C. Laskaridis Charitable Foundation successfully completed the Plastic Free Greece initiative for the fifth consecutive year. The initiative is held under the auspices of the Ministry of Tourism and as part of the national campaign “Greece Without Single-Use Plastics” by the Ministry of Environment and Energy.

This year, the initiative traveled to Lesvos, Santorini, Chios, Sindos, Attica, Trikala, Patras, and Rhodes. The Lidl Hellas team, together with partners and volunteers from the Athanasios C. Laskaridis Foundation, visited these eight destinations, raising awareness in local communities through coastal and underwater clean-up activities that bring hope for a cleaner future.

In total, 14 coastal and 6 underwater cleanups were carried out. With the valuable contribution of 152 volunteers and the diving team Dive in Action, 5,692 kilograms of waste were collected, including 4,375 small plastic pieces and 1,804 plastic water and soft drink bottles.

Since the launch of Plastic Free Greece in June 2020, a total of 53 coastal and 36 underwater cleanups have been conducted, collecting nearly 12 tons of waste.

In 2024, Lidl Hellas took the initiative a step further by expanding the program to areas where the company operates logistics centers (Attica, Thessaloniki, Patras, and Trikala). The cleanups were carried out with the voluntary participation of 100 employee-volunteers, who actively contributed to environmental protection and became part of the company’s vision for a greener and more sustainable planet.

Lidl Hellas continues to lead the effort for a plastic-free environment, taking actions that deliver tangible results, setting sustainability standards, ensuring the preservation of natural resources, and promoting the circular economy.

This initiative is part of Lidl Hellas’ sustainability program, specifically under the pillar “Good for the Planet”, with a strategic focus on Resource Conservation, as part of the REset Plastic Cleanup Collective initiative of the Schwarz Group. With the motto “Think globally, act locally,” we work together for a cleaner environment and contribute to the shared strategy of the Schwarz Group companies, REset Plastic.

Plastic Free Greece is a collaboration between Lidl Hellas, the Athanasios C. Laskaridis Charitable Foundation, and public sector bodies (the Ministry of Tourism, the Ministry of Environment and Energy, as well as representatives of local authorities in each region).   

The implementation of the project involves collaboration between employees from the Corporate Responsibility & Sustainability Department of Lidl Hellas, the Athanasios C. Laskaridis Charitable Foundation, as well as volunteers from Lidl Hellas stores at each respective location.

In 2024, Lidl Hellas took a step further by expanding the program to areas where the company operates logistics centers (Attica, Thessaloniki, Patras, and Trikala). The clean-up activities were carried out with the voluntary participation of 100 employee-volunteers, who actively contributed to environmental protection and became part of the company’s vision for a greener and more sustainable planet.

Cleanups have been carried out in the following locations:

• Santorini (included every year as the flagship destination of the project)
• Chania (2021)
• Halkidiki (2021)
• Corfu (2021)
• Rhodes (2021, 2024)
• Kos (2021)
• Heraklion (2022)
• Second peninsula of Halkidiki (2022)
• Syros (2022)
• Lake Kerkini (2022 and 2023)
• Agios Nikolaos, Crete (2023)
• Zakynthos (2023)
• Chios (2023, 2024)
• Aegina (2023)
• Lemnos (2022)
• Lesvos (2024)
• Sindos, Thessaloniki (2024)
• Kalyvia Thorikou, Attica (2024)
• Trikala (2024)
• Patra (2024)             

Since the launch of Plastic Free Greece in June 2020, a total of 53 coastal and 36 underwater cleanups have been carried out by 420 volunteers, collecting nearly 12 tons of waste. 

Lidl Hellas seeks strategic partnerships and invests in them. One such partnership is with the Athanasios C. Laskaridis Charitable Foundation, which has already been ongoing for several years. Through this collaboration, we contribute to environmental protection and, by extension, to the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that are linked to this initiative.

Since the program is addressed to civil society, local authorities, and other partners of our company, our commitment to stakeholders and stakeholder engagement is further strengthened.

Additionally, during meetings with representatives of local government, Lidl Hellas communicates its strategy regarding the reduction of excessive plastic use. These meetings also yield multiple benefits through collaboration and open dialogue with other stakeholders, including local authorities who participate in the program.