Aldi is removing the protective sleeves over corks of its own-label wines.
The change – which will be rolled out to all Aldi’s own-label wines with corks by the end of 2025 – follows a year-long trial.
It was “a UK supermarket first”, Aldi claimed. Waitrose has been running a similar trial on its own brand Loved & Found wine range since 2023, but Aldi is the first retailer to roll out the change across its whole own-label offer, The Grocer understands.
Removing the aluminum and plastic sleeves would eliminate an estimated 38 tonnes of “unnecessary packaging” each year, Aldi said.
A total of 45 products will be affected by the change, including the retailer’s Côtes du Rhone, Rioja Reserva and Atlantique Rosé wines.
“We know that sustainability is a priority for our customers, and we’re always looking for new ways to reduce packaging and offer more sustainable choices,” said Aldi national sustainability director Luke Emery. “Launching wines with naked corks is a step in the right direction, and we’re proud to be the first supermarket to introduce this change across our entire range of own-brand quality corked wines.”
It comes after Aldi launched a new-own label Chardonnay in partnership with The Hidden Sea in January.
The tie-up sees the equivalent of 10 plastic bottles worth of plastic removed from the ocean for every bottle of Kooliburra Hidden Sea Chardonnay sold.
Aldi also launched own-brand paper wine bottles and ‘eco flat plastic bottles’ last year.
The paper bottles are made from 94% recycled paperboard and lined with a food-grade pouch to hold the wine.
The ‘eco flat’ bottles are produced from 100% recycled PET, and weigh just 63g – seven times lighter than a regular glass bottle. They were awarded Gold at The Grocer’s New Product & Packaging Awards last year in the Sustainability Pack of the Year category.
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