Aldi Germany: Strategy against packaging waste

At the German discount food stores Aldi Nord and Aldi Süd, packaging material for private labels is to be reduced by 30 percent by 2025. The discounters also want to make 100 percent of private label packaging recyclable by 2022.

Aldi wants to expand unpacked assortment

Aldi plans to reduce packaging volumes particularly for fruit and vegetables as much as possible, taking into account product quality and food losses. At the same time, the range of unpackaged products is to be constantly expanded. Since 2017, Aldi has used reusable crates for transporting fruit and vegetables as far as possible, which, according to the company, has saved more than 120 million cardboard boxes and thus around 50,000 tons of greenhouse gas emissions.

Soon no more disposable bags at Aldi

Aldi is the first major food retailer in Germany to discontinue handing out disposable bags. From the end of 2018, Aldi Nord and Aldi Süd will exclusively offer reusable carrier bags to their customers. Aldi also announced that various disposable plastic articles are to be replaced by more environmentally friendly alternatives or reusable variants.

Aldi UK: Pledge to tackle plastic pollution

Following a survey of customers, in March 2018 Aldi UK presented a ten point pledge to tackle the issue of plastic and packaging pollution. 

Aldi UK’s plastic and packaging pledges:

1. By 2022 Aldi aims for 100% of all own label packaging to be recyclable, reusable or compostable (where it does not have a detrimental effect on product quality or safety, or increase food waste).
2. By 2025 Aldi aims to achieve 100% recyclable, reusable or compostable packaging across all products (where it does not have a detrimental effect on product quality or safety, or increase food waste).
3. By 2025, Aldi aims to reduce packaging by 50% (relative to 2015 baseline).
4. By 2025 Aldi aims for 50% of its packaging to be made from recycled material.
5. Aldi will publicly report on its packaging progress annually starting in 2019.
6. Aldi will educate customers on the importance of waste reduction (reduce, reuse, recycle) through its community programmes.
7. All single-use plastic bags will be scrapped by the end of 2018.
8. Aldi will work in partnership with other retailers to reduce its dependence on plastic.
9. Aldi will establish a Packaging Task Force with its Buying Teams and external experts to deliver these goals.
10. In principal Aldi supports a Deposit Return Scheme for plastic bottles and is conducting a feasibility study into how it could implement such a scheme.