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MILKING IT

Lidl is making a big change to the way you buy milk – will you spot it?

SHOPPERS will soon spot a big change to milk on the shelves at a bargain supermarket.

Lidl is ditching the familiar packaging seen on milk tops to help the environment.

Shoppers will have to look more closely at milk labels on shelves after a change at Lidl
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Shoppers will have to look more closely at milk labels on shelves after a change at LidlCredit: Getty

Instead, milk will come with the same clear plastic lid which can be recycled more easily.

It means shoppers will have to look a lot closer at the labels, instead of glancing at the top of bottles.

The change comes after a trial of the new caps earlier this year in some stores with milk supplier Muller.

Green coloured milk caps on semi-skimmed and organic fresh milk will be ditched for the clear coloured caps.

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A green lid usually signals that it's semi-skimmed milk, and a red cap is for skimmed milk, while blue is for whole milk.

The change will be rolled out from October 31 and will be in all of Lidl's more than 900 stores by November 21. 

Scott Davey, Lidl's senior buying director said: “We remain committed to supporting our customers in helping them make more sustainable shopping decisions on a daily basis.

"Customer feedback during the trial was overwhelmingly positive and we are thrilled to be making this change permanent across Lidl stores.

“In addition, this move will help us achieve our goal of making more of the plastic we use circular and fit to be repurposed time and time again.”

It's not the only supermarket making a change to go green.

Posh shop Waitrose ditched its red, blue and green milk caps over the summer - and shoppers all said the same thing.

Customers griped that a "simple glance down the fridge normally, now requires removal of bottles to check".

Meanwhile Lidl's rival discounter Aldi recently trialled the switch to ditch coloured caps.

Richard Gorman, Aldi's packaging boss said: “By trialling clear milk caps we are making our milk bottles easier to recycle, so they can be turned back into new packaging.”

If it's successful it could be rolled to all of Aldi's 950 stores across the country.

And M&S stores in several locations on social media have said they are taking part in a similar trial for four weeks.

Branches taking part include Cranleigh, Warren Park, Oadby and Hempstead Valley.

We've asked M&S if it intends to roll it out to more stores too if it's successful.

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Many supermarkets have made a change to best before dates - see the full list.

Meanwhile Quality Streets have had a major makeover with new eco-friendly wrappers.

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