Aldi pledges to remove 74,000 tonnes of plastic packaging

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Aldi has pledged to cut the volume of plastic packaging it uses in half by 2025.

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The commitment will see the supermarket remove 74,000 tonnes of plastic packaging during the next five years, the equivalent to 2.2bn single items of plastic.

Aldi will work to remove and reduce unnecessary packaging and switch to alternative materials. Where plastic is required, it will be recyclable and made of recycled material wherever possible.

The new target is part of Aldi’s overall strategy to ensure that all own-label products are recyclable, reusable or compostable by 2022 and branded products sold at Aldi by 2025.

Giles Hurley, chief executive of Aldi UK and Ireland, said: “We are stepping up our efforts to reduce the amount of plastic packaging used across our business because it is the right thing to do for a sustainable future. We know this issue matters to our customers too and are confident they will support our initiatives to reduce plastic in the coming years.”

Aldi has been working closely with its suppliers in recent months to develop ways to reduce avoidable plastics. These include replacing plastic wrapping on toilet rolls with a paper alternative, removing over lids from cream and yogurts, and replacing plastic packaging on steak lines with a cardboard alternative.

Hurley added: “We can only achieve our long-term plastic reduction targets with support from suppliers. The response we have received so far has been extremely positive and we look forward to working with them to develop further innovative packaging solutions.”