"Lidl says it's one of the most ecological bottles, of all things this one – a disposable plastic bottle" – with these words Günther Jauch begins his commercial for the food discounter Lidl. In an elaborate online, TV and poster campaign, Jauch presents Lidl's recycling system and its mineral water, bottled in 1.5 and 0.5 liter plastic bottles. The disposable bottle is "better than reusable glass and PET in a CO₂ comparison," according to the discounter. In other words, those bottles that can be refilled up to 50 times. To prove this, Lidl has commissioned a study.
Enlarge imagePhoto: Michael Gstettenbauer / IMAGO; LIDL
But this study criticizes the German Environmental Aid and accuses Lidl of greenwashing with this campaign. Is the recycling cycle really climate-friendly? Or is Jauch giving himself up for an advertising lie here?
In this podcast episode of the »Climate Report«, we discuss with journalist Jacqueline Göbel what is true about the climate promise of the Lidl disposable bottle.
Göbel also explains that the disposable bottle in particular is considered a "treasure" in the entire plastic industry. For her book »The Plastic Addiction«, she researched what actually helps to curb increasing plastic consumption and what is being done politically to achieve this.