ALDI commits itself to plastic packaging reduction

Grocery retail industry leader ALDI stated in a press release that all ALDI U.S. product packaging will be reusable, recyclable or compostable by 2025. The grocery retailers operate more than 1800 stores in 35 states in the United States. More than 40 million customers each month buy from the retailer.

The commitments ALDI U.S. are making is to help combat the global plastics challenge. By 2025, 100% of packaging, including plastics, will be reusable, recyclable or compostable. The retailer aims to reduce packaging material across its entire range by at least 15%. The retailer has the ability to influence how the products it sells are sourced, produced and brought to shelves as more than 90% of the product range is exclusive to the company. Therefore, the grocery retailer committed itself to work with its partners to achieve the following goals:

• 100% of ALDI-exclusive consumable packaging to include How2Recycle label by 2020;
• By 2020, implement an initiative to make private-label product packaging easier for customers to reuse;
• 100% of all packaging, including plastic packaging, will have reusable,
  recyclable or compostable packaging by 2025;
• By 2025, packaging material of all ALDI-exclusive products to be reduced by at least 15%;
• Guide continuous improvement of product packaging by internal expertise and external
  evaluations.

ALDI's sustainability initiatives

Jason Hart, CEO of ALDI U.S., comments: “We have never offered single-use plastic shopping bags. And while we’re pleased that we’ve helped keep billions of plastic grocery bags out of landfills and oceans, we want to continue to do more. The commitments we’re making to reduce plastic packaging waste are an investment in our collective future that we are proud to make.”

The goals are an extension of the company's existing sustainability initiatives. The company estimates that its sustainable business decisions have helped keep approximately 15 billion single-use plastic bags out of landfills and oceans. In 2018, the retailer recycled more than 250,000 tons of materials, including paper, cardboard, plastic and metal. The grocery retailer partnered with How2Recycle in July 2018, a standardised labelling system to empower customers to recycle.