Lidl pledges donation to Caritas on food saving bags on top of €3,000 gift

The discount supermarket giant Lidl has donated €3,000 to the Catholic charity Caritas Malta in a series of donations which the company said were aimed at tackling food waste reduction.

Lidl launched a food saving bag in December 2023 retailing at €3, with imperfectly-shaped fruit and vegetables that are perfectly good and safe to eat, or with slightly damaged packaging, from all its 10 stores.

The €3,000 donation comes on top of a Lidl pledge to donate 50c from every Food Saving Bag purchase to Caritas Malta, with future contributions happening every six months.

Each bag is filled with a handpicked selection of 4kgs of perfectly edible fruits and vegetables that may have slight cosmetic imperfections or slightly damaged packaging. “Despite these minor appearances, the produce inside remains fresh and delicious. These value-packed bags come at a discounted price of just €3, making them a great way to stock up on fresh produce while minimising food waste,” said Lidl Malta director Owen Micallef.

“Not only are we reducing waste, but thanks to our customers’ support, we’re also able to give back to the community through Caritas Malta, a vital organisation that provides essential services to those in need.”

Lidl opened in April 2008 with three stores and currently has 10 outlets. The group is part of the Schwarz Group, founded in Germany in the 1970s, and is present in 31 countries in the world with over 12,200 stores and 376,000 employees.