Aldi has made a new commitment to halve the volume of plastic packaging it uses by 2025.
The new target joins Aldi’s existing pledges to achieve 100% recyclable, reusable or compostable packaging across own-label ranges by 2022 and for all branded products by 2025.
The latest commitment will eliminate 74,000 tonnes of plastic – or 2.2 billion pieces – over the next five years, Aldi 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,” said Aldi UK & Ireland CEO Giles Hurley.
“We know this issue matters to our customers too and are confident they will support our initiatives to reduce plastic in the coming years.”
Over 6,000 tonnes of plastic had already been eliminated since Aldi first launched its reduction strategy in March 2018, the discounter said.
In February this year, Hurley wrote to suppliers warning the targets were “non-negotiable” and would guide future buying decisions.
Recent steps included replacing plastic wrapping on toilet rolls with a paper alternative, removing ‘over lids’ from cream and yoghurts, and replacing plastic packaging on steak lines with a cardboard alternative, Aldi said today.
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.”
The discounter also said it would report annual progress against its plastics and packaging targets via its website.
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