Aldi pledges to cut food waste 50% by 2030

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Aldi is a backer of The Grocer’s Waste Not Want Not campaign and has pledged to provide annual updates on its progress

Aldi has pledged to halve its levels of food waste by 2030.

The discounter said it would aim to reduce operational waste across its UK and Ireland stores by 50% in the next 12 years. It would do this by extending its commitments under Courtauld 2025, working with Wrap to engage suppliers and third party logistics providers in its supply chain, and building up redistribution efforts with both FareShare and Company Shop, it said. The retailer will also join the UN network ‘Friends of Champions 12.3’ which includes all organisations publicly signed up to the global target. It will be the first major UK retailer to do so, though Tesco CEO Dave Lewis leads the ‘Champions’ board of influential figures supporting work toward the target.

An early supporter of The Grocer’s Waste Not Want Not campaign, Aldi said it would provide annual updates on its progress following a major commitment from all major supermarkets via the IGD to share data food waste data publicly.

“Food waste is one of our sector’s most pressing issues, and reducing it is everyone’s responsibility,” said Aldi MD of corporate responsibility Oliver King. “By joining this network we hope to work with others in the industry to tackle this collectively by sharing data and resources.”

Redistribution would be a core focus of its plans to reduce food going to waste, it said. Since the start of 2015, Aldi has donated 1,157 tonnes of food across the UK and Ireland, the equivalent of over 2.8 million meals. It planned to build on this, while also helping customers to reduce food waste in their homes, using initiatives such as Love Food Hate Waste messaging on products, in-store and online, it said.

Wrap development director Richard Swannell added: “With one-third of the world’s food lost or wasted, costing the global economy $950bn every year, the food waste challenge is monumental and urgent. The UN SDG 12.3 is ambitious and achievable - but only if we set targets, measure and galvanise action from governments, business and citizens from all over the world. We look forward to working with Aldi through the Champions 12.3 network to tackle what is one of the key issues of our generation.”