Aldi to cut down on plastic packaging on mince, noodle cups and batteries

Aldi shoppers will soon notice a change to some staple products as the supermarket aims to reduce the amount of plastic in its packaging.

The company plans to reduce its plastic packaging by a quarter by 2025, and is already halfway to achieving that goal before it steps up its packaging overhaul according to Aldi’s new Making Sustainability Affordable report.

“Through our work with our supplier partners, we are redesigning all of our packaging to be 100 per cent recyclable, reusable, or compostable by the end of 2025,” the report reads.

So far they are on track to meet that goal, with 83.3 per cent of packaging on Aldi brands now fitting in that category.

Some of the biggest changes that customers will notice will be in mince meat, noodle cups and batteries.

A swap from tray packaging to soft ‘flow-wrap’ casings will reduce the amount of plastic in the product by 70 per cent.

Styrofoam noodle cup packaging will be phased out by the end of the year, with production already underway for paper-based cup replacements for instant noodles.

Changes have already been made for battery packaging, with paper now used instead of plastic, which will cut down on 17 tonnes of plastic waste each year.

Aldi’s sustainability director Daniel Baker assured customers the changes would not push up prices.

“As a business, we are fundamentally focused on delivering for our customers, and we are keenly aware many of them are feeling the pinch right now,” he said in a statement.

“For us, we won’t be beaten on the cost of the weekly shop, but that simply doesn’t come at the expense of our commitment to our ambitious sustainability initiatives.”

The brand is also committing to achieve zero wast to landfill by 2025, with 82 per cent of waste currently diverted from the tip.

This is done largely through a “food rescue” program which connects supermarkets with organisations such as Foodbank and OzHarvest.

Aldi says it contributed the equivalent of 8.75 million meals in 2022 through this program.

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