Major announcement from one of Hungary’s largest retail chains

Last spring, the German retail chain Lidl launched its used cooking oil collection initiative.Customers can safely and free of charge drop off used cooking oil and fat in collection bins at its stores. Over the past year, the company has steadily increased the number of its stores with collection points. Currently, 120 stores offer separate collection.

Lidl Hungary states in a public notice that the frying oil and fat used is extremely harmful and can be dangerous for the environment. When poured down the drain, it damages the sewage system, makes wastewater treatment more difficult, pollutes our aquifers when released into the environment, and is a persistent substance when disposed of in municipal waste.

However, if treated properly, it is 100 percent recyclable. Thus, it is very important that it is collected and disposed of selectively at designated collection sites. Lidl Hungary is also helping with the collection. The retail chain already provides containers for customers at 120 of its stores. The service has been well received, with almost 30 tonnes of used cooking oil and used grease deposited in the bins since its launch.

Promoting responsible waste management and the circular economy is a key priority for the supermarket chain.

“As part of our REset Plastic strategy, we are also working towards, among other things, making 100 percent of our own-brand packaging fully recyclable by 2025. We also consider it important to support our customers in the selective waste collection, and by providing free and safe collection of used cooking oil, currently available at 120 of our stores, we want to contribute to promoting more sustainable waste management,”

said Judit Tőzsér, the company’s Communications Manager.

The bins are located near the entrances of Lidl stores in prominent locations. They can be used to deposit used cooking oil and fat, butter, margarine and expired cooking oil. The drop-off is very simple: all you have to do is drop the cooled oil or fat in the plastic bottle into the opening of the container. The quality of separation is very important for recyclability, so care must be taken to ensure that other materials such as motor oil, lubricating oil, other liquids or waste do not end up in the container. These are not allowed. A list of Lidl stores with collection islands is available on the retail chain’s website.