Lidl is extending its ‘Good to Give’ initiative - which signposts the food donations charities need most - to hygiene products in response to soaring demand.
Lidl launched the initiative seven months ago, with shelf labelling highlighting 30 long-life food lines, modelled using the NHS Eatwell Guide, as ‘Good to Give’. The aim was to provide food banks with a more nutritionally balanced selection of products.
From 16 March, similar signage will appear alongside 10 essential sanitary and personal care products, including tampons, toothpaste and nappies. After purchase, the products can can left at donation points in all Lidl GB stores, along with food.
It follows research by Lidl’s redistribution partner, Neighbourly, which found 72% of local charities reported needing both food and toiletries to support communities through the cost of living crisis.
Lidl is also set to provide £50,000 in grants for local organisations working to tackle hygiene poverty in their communities. The funding is to help provide essential hygiene items such as period products, shower gel and toothpaste.
The discounter said that since it launched the Good to Give initiative last year, in-store customer food donations for local charities had increased by an estimated 25%, equating to over 250,000 extra meals donated between June and December.
Read more: Hygiene poverty is fast becoming a hidden crisis, but retailer initiatives can help
“With the cost of living crisis continuing to put pressure on local communities, we want to go beyond our commitment to making good food accessible to everyone by looking at other support we can provide,” said Lidl GB senior CSR manager Mark Newbold.
“Hygiene poverty is the daily reality for over 3.2 million adults in this country, and our charity partners working day, in day out with those in need have told us that the problem is only growing.
“We hope that by providing grants and encouraging our customers to once again donate a little differently, we can get more local charities more of these basic yet vital products.”
Superdrug also recently launched an initiative encouraging shoppers to donate unwanted health & beauty Christmas gifts to help hygiene poverty charities struggling under the weight of demand.
The health & beauty retailer’s charity partner, Beauty Banks, which redistributes hygiene products via food banks and other community organisations, reported an 80% increase in demand in 2022 compared with previous years.
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