Murals of Glasgow: Lidl unveils stunning mural at SWG3 made with over 30,000 waste bottle caps

The stunning, hand-crafted mural - aptly named Bottlecelli - was commissioned to mark a whopping 253,000 containers of PET plastic and aluminium recycled through the discounter’s industry first return scheme pilot that launched last month.

A must-see masterpiece in Scotland’s mural capital, the impressive artwork turning trash into treasure reimagines early renaissance painter Botticelli’s famous ‘Birth of Venus’ and is designed to encourage more shoppers and passers-by to play their part in reducing plastic pollution - don’t bottle it, recycle instead!  

Located in Glasgow’s trendy West End, Lidl has teamed up with renowned mural artist Smug and Yardworks, the world-renowned street and graffiti programme at SWG3, Scotland’s leading multi-disciplinary arts venue, to deliver the sustainable spectacle. With a free-hand painted base, the artwork is embellished in parts with a mix of bottle caps due to be recycled, as well as bottle caps already recycled through the scheme in the past month. 

In a supermarket first, Lidl’s return scheme pilot launched in February and will run until August. Shoppers will receive a 5p reward for each eligible item that they return, which can either be redeemed against their weekly shop or donated to Lidl’s long-standing charity partner, The STV Children’s appeal. Lidl has committed a further £2,500 - for bottle tops used in creation of the mural to the organisation, , which they have been supporting since 2011. 

The supermarket anticipates the trial scheme will result in a minimum 10.5 tonnes of plastic and aluminium material being recycled each month, with the material set to be retained and used to create new plastic and aluminium products.

Lidl’s Regional Director for Scotland, Marco Ivone comments: “Since launching last month, we’ve had an overwhelming response to our pilot return scheme and ‘Bottlecelli’ is an opportunity for us to give something back to the Glasgow community.

"We know our customers share our passion for sustainability, and saving money, and we hope even more people take advantage of the schemes as we continue to invest in ways to ensure recycling is as convenient as possible.” 

Engagement and Participation lead at SWG3, Laura Frood said: “It’s been a pleasure working alongside Lidl, Sam (Smug) and the wider team here at SWG3 to create ‘Bottlecelli’ over the past month. The mural looks fantastic and is testament to the talented team of artists and students* who were able to make art from waste bottle tops. 

“Beyond the mural, the partnership has also seen investment into our Yardworks Programme and street arts festival which will take place between 4th - 5th May.”

Visit the ‘Bottlecelli’ mural now at 100 Eastvale Place, Glasgow, G3 8QG. The Lidl Return Scheme is running for a trial period in participating Glasgow stores from 8 February until 11 August 2024.