Lidl shoppers stunned to discover where leftover supermarket items actually end up
Lots of people shop at Lidl, with the supermarket recently announcing its plans to open various new stores. However, even though the supermarket is loved and is popular with many, shoppers were recently taken aback to discover what happens to leftover items.
It's always great to see the aisles full when you go shopping, but sometimes it appears there can be too much food. Now and again, when there is a lot of stock, things can go out of date if they're not sold, and people have recently discovered these items can sometimes end up in an unlikely location, which has taken some by surprise.
This isn't the only piece of Lidl news that's shocked people lately either. Earlier this month, it also confirmed a new rule would be implemented throughout its stores.
- John Lewis workers to get inflation busting pay rise - but no word on bonus
- Strictly's Kevin Clifton reveals adorable family update with Stacey Dooley
In a recent TikTok video posted online, a man known as the Waste Inspectordetailed exactly what he found at his local supermarket. Alongside the video, he wrote: "[Lidl] have lost the plot, wasting anything and everything all in date and perfectly good to donate.
"I just can’t get my head around this. Staff claim it’s company policy and Lidl claim it’s bad staff training, but this is not an isolated issue. It’s happening in so many stores."
In the clip, he then details all the food he's found that he claims has been "wasted", as opposed to being donated. It appears to have been located in the bin.
He takes a few bits that have been thrown out, which include items such as shampoo, tissues, cat food and bags. Some goods, such as alcoholic drinks, appeared to be in date, so he was left totally baffled as to why they were being thrown away.
According to him, the amount of wasted food he witnessed was "insane", and he couldn't understand why such "perfectly good stock" was being thrown away.
The man, known as the Waste Inspector, visits various supermarkets to try and discover what's being wasted. But, in his recent video, he couldn't believe the scenes he witnessed at Lidl.
Several people commented on the video after it was shared, and a few were left in disbelief. The discovery has left many pretty stunned.
One person said: "What a waste isn’t it? Good for you getting it out." Another added: "I don’t understand why they don’t sell them cheaply to customers. It’s so bad for the environment."
A third replied: "This is mind blowing and extremely sad." Meanwhile, a fourth commented: "Them strawberries are in better shape than the ones I bought, and have only been in the fridge since yesterday."
Lidl GB has set itself a company target to reduce food waste by 50% by 2030, with robust due processes and national initiatives in place to deal with food surplus across stores. It's reported to have already made encouraging progress on this, like increasing food donations by 65% and redistributing over 18.5 million meals in the last year.
Initiatives include "Feed It Back", its national food redistribution programme with Neighbourly. Each of its stores has a dedicated Food Surplus Donation Point, where items are kept for collection, and a daily donation schedule to make sure it's getting as much surplus food out to charities as possible. Lidl also partners with redistribution organisations for larger, regional donations, which include any additional products from stores that have not been shared locally.
A Lidl spokesperson said: "The examples being shared by the Food Waste Inspector are not reflective of the importance we place on reducing food waste as a business or the robust procedures we have in place. Through the dedicated work of thousands of Lidl colleagues and partners like Neighbourly, we delivered a 65% increase in food donations last year, providing more than 18.5 million meals to those in need.
"We also actively offer customers discounts of up to 50% on last-day products and provide ‘Too Good To Waste’ boxes in every store to help prevent food waste at store. We recognise that there is a long way to go across the sector and society more broadly.
"To meet this challenge, we are currently retraining our colleagues on donation processes, including targeted store visits to upskill colleagues and nationwide communication on processes. We remain committed to accelerating our progress in this space and collaborating closely with our industry peers to drive lasting impact for both the environment and the communities we are at the heart of."