Aldi Ireland has announced its plans to remove all outer cardboard boxes from its fresh poultry, pork, beef, lamb and select fish lines.
The move will mean over 2,300 tonnes less packaging will be used in Aldi stores each year, saving an equivalent of 4.2 million kg in carbon emissions each year, the discounter said.
Working with its Irish suppliers, Aldi said its fresh meat, fish, and poultry ranges will be transported to stores in reusable crates, eliminating the need for cardboard boxes on shelves.
The crates will be cleaned and returned to the producer to be used repeatedly, it added.
According to the supermarket, this is the latest improvement as part of Aldi’s long-term plastic and packaging reduction programme, which is working to reduce plastic packaging on all Aldi products by 50% by 2025, and to ensure 100% of Aldi’s own-label packaging is reusable, recyclable or compostable by the end of next year.
Since introducing the programme, Aldi noted that it has removed more than 2,150 tonnes of virgin plastic from its 147 Irish stores in addition to replacing almost 930 tonnes of non-recyclable material with recyclable alternatives.
Energy-Saving Chiller
The announcement comes as Aldi is also set to introduce new energy-saving chiller doors to its new and newly refurbished stores. The move will reduce each store’s energy consumption by approximately 20%, equivalent to a carbon emissions saving of up to 20 tonnes per store each year.
Commenting, John Curtin, Aldi group buying director, said, “The new reduced packaging and energy initiatives announced today highlight the importance of not just making our products more eco-friendly, but also the way we present and transport them in stores.
"We are looking at every aspect of our supply chain to find packaging and energy savings and to make sure when shopping at Aldi it’s as green as possible,” he added.
2021 Checkout – your source for the latest Irish retail news. Article by Donna Ahern. For more packaging news click here. Click sign up to subscribe to Checkout.
