Aldi | Repak

Moved peanut butter from plastic to glass jars saving 13 tonnes of plastic per annum.

97.58% of Aldi's packaging is recyclable

Aldi implemented a significant plastic reduction initiative, successfully reducing plastic usage in their own label products by 17.60%. Their commitment to environmental sustainability extends beyond plastic reduction, as they ensure that zero waste ends up in landfills. Non Recyclable waste is processed through RDF sites to generate energy from waste. Impressively, 97.58% of Aldi's packaging is recyclable, and they even transitioned porridge pots into eco-friendly card packaging. Additionally, Aldi has taken steps towards sustainability by transitioning shower gel, shampoo, and sun care bottles to contain 30% recycled content. To maintain product quality and minimise food waste, rigorous trials and shelf-life tests were conducted, ensuring that these eco-friendly changes did not compromise product integrity.

Aldi Plans for 2023

Aldi has outlined several key sustainability projects. These initiatives include reducing the weight of their soft drinks packaging, optimising primary packaging for beer, and lightening the film used for multipack crisps. Furthermore, Aldi is actively developing and implementing tethered caps for plastic bottles throughout the year. Building on their commitment to recyclable packaging, 97.58% of Aldi's packaging is already recyclable, and they've introduced a sustainable solution for Porridge Pots using card packaging. Aldi is also working towards its goal of having 30% of their own label plastic packaging made from recycled materials. Additionally, the company has pledged to eliminate 60 tonnes of food waste from its operations in 2023, further demonstrating its dedication to sustainability and waste reduction.

Aldi Plastic Pledge Objectives

Objective 1 - To Prevent

Achievements for 2022

ALDI Ireland eliminated problematic plastic packaging (black plastic, PVC and EPS) from Core Range Food in 2020. ALDI works closely with its suppliers to introduce new, innovative, sustainable packaging solutions that has resulted in over 2,700 tonnes of total plastic being removed from its stores since 2020. Throughout 2022, ALDI has had the following successes in plastic reduction:

→ Light weighting of our lower tier oil range decreasing the overall plastic weight by 15%.

→ Light weighting of our bagged rice range resulting in a 4.3% weight decrease.

→ Micron reduction on elements of our Chocolate range including Chocolate Buttons and Bubbly Bars decreasing plastic weight by 20%.

→ 10% plastic reduction in our cereal range and 24% plastic reduction in our cereal bar film.

→ Micron reduction of 25% in our ice cube range.

→ Moved peanut butter from plastic to glass jars saving 13 tonnes of plastic per annum.

The above resulted in a 17.60% plastic reduction in Aldi own label products.

Plans for 2023

In 2023, ALDI will work towards its plastic and packaging target of a 40% reduction of own label plastic packaging by 2025 (against 2020 baseline). Key projects for 2023 include:

→ Light weighting of our soft drinks range.

→ Primary packaging optimisation for Beer.

→ Light weighting of film for multipack crisps.

Objective 2 - To Support

Achievements for 2022

All soft plastics and card are baled at back of house in all ALDI stores, backhauled to ALDI RDC’s and then sent for recycling with our contracted waste providers. 97.58% of our packaging is recyclable.

We ensure that no waste goes to landfill and if not able to be recycled it will be processed through RDF sites for energy from waste. 625 tonnes of plastic were recovered and recycled from our back of house waste in 2022 and 100% of our back of house plastic waste is recycled.

ALDI’s Head Office has segregated bins in all canteens (General, Recycling, Compost) and all plastic is baled for recycling and collected by our waste providers. Aldi are Members of WRAP and the Plastics Pact in the GB business.

ALDI Ireland, in partnership with the ALDI South Group, has
also announced itself as an endorser of a Global Plastics Treaty to End Plastic Pollution. Over 80 global businesses across the plastics value chain, financial institutions, and non-governmental organisations (NGOs), have committed to supporting the development of a legal UN treaty to end plastic pollution. Aldi signed up to be a RECOUP member to aid Design for Recyclability in 2022.

Plans for 2023

ALDI will be introducing dual labelling to differentiate between GB and IE recycling guidelines to provide more accurate information to our customers. This will also prepare the business for EU mandatory recycling labelling in 2025.

Tethered caps on plastic bottles are being developed and rolled out throughout 2023. The removal of shelf ready packaging will be explored in further categories in 2023. ALDI will continue to educate colleagues on how to recycle and how to reduce their plastic use in their day to day lives.

Objective 3 - To Simplify

Achievements for 2022

ALDI works with its suppliers to introduce new, innovative, sustainable packaging solutions. This has enabled ALDI to replace or remove over 2,550 tonnes of non-recyclable packaging materials since 2020. 97.58% of ALDI’s packaging is recyclable. 100% of problematic plastic packaging was eliminated from stores by the end of 2020.

Several initiatives took place in 2022 moving packaging from non- recyclable to recyclable plastic, such as:

→ Snack Noodles were moved from multi materials to mono PP cup and sleeve.

→ Stock Pots moved from multi materials to mono PP.

→ Porridge Pots were moved into a card pot solution.

→ Replacing multi material pump sprays with mono plastic alternative, roll out completes in 2023.

Plans for 2023

In 2023, ALDI will work towards its plastic and packaging target of maintaining the position of zero tolerance of problematic plastics and to continue working towards 100% recyclable, reusable or home compostable packaging by 2025.

We will continue to work with our suppliers to get our packaging as optimised as possible. We are currently exploring the reduction of plastic packaging in line with product packaging redesigns for breakfast meats and cooked sliced meats.

Objective 4 - To Increase

Achievements for 2022

Aldi achieved 19.40% recycled content currently within our plastic packaging. ALDI’s eco-loop shopping bags are made from 100% recycled content, 80% of which comes from ALDI stores.
Several initiatives took place in 2022 to incorporate recycled content into plastics, some examples are:

→ Started moving the shower gel, shampoo and sun care bottles over to 30% recycled content, this will be completed in 2023.

→ 30% recycled content added to capsule and sleeve of in Gin and Vodka.

→ Moved from virgin plastic to 50% recycled content in our condiments range.

→ Added 30% recycled content into the outer film on toilet and kitchen rolls.

→ 50% recycled content added into our washing up liquid.

→ 35% recycled content added into the outer film of our nappies range.

Plans for 2023

ALDI’s Buying Teams are working with suppliers continuously to improve the recycled content within our plastic range. In 2023, ALDI will work towards its plastic and packaging target of 30% of own label plastic packaging to be made of recycled content.

Objective 5 - To Reduce

Achievements for 2022

ALDI is a member of the Retail Action Group and have signed the Food Waste Charter committing to reduce Irelands food waste by 50% by 2030. ALDI also support the EPA’s (Environmental Protection Agency) Stop Food Waste communications and regularly feature their advice, tips, and logos in their weekly leaflets.

Before any packaging changes mentioned above were implemented, trials and shelf-life tests took place to ensure that the quality of the product would not be impacted, consequently leading to a higher probability of food waste. Buying Teams worked on moving laminate films to higher quality Polyethylene (PE) and Polypropylene (PP) film.

Plans for 2023

A number of ALDI’s suppliers are currently carrying out trials and shelf-life tests to ensure the quality of the product is not affected by the changes in packaging. Food waste reduction tips are also shared with ALDI colleagues on our internal communications platform, MyALDI and externally to customers through tips on reducing food waste in our weekly leaflets via the Stop Food Waste logo and website link. ALDI also supported the ‘Stop Food Waste Day’, on all social channels, which took place on the 1st March.

ALDI has also pledged to eliminate 60 tonnes of food waste from our operations in 2023 in support of the Government’s National Food Waste Prevention Roadmap. The nationwide roll out will reduce food from going to waste annually and will form a key part of ALDI’s ongoing commitment to reducing food waste.

In 2023, ALDI announced a new partnership with Too Good To Go (TGTG). The TGTG app lets ALDI customers buy and collect ‘Surprise Bags’ which are packed full of ALDI products at a great price, whist making sure food gets eaten and not wasted. Stores are encouraged to ensure no food, that is fit for consumption, ends up in the bin, which will be supported by the below initiatives:

→ Sale of reduced products (30%,50%,75%)

→ Charity Donation via FoodCloud

→ Surprise bags via Too Good To Go