UK – Aldi is trialing the removal of pulp trays and punnets from several of its fruit and vegetable lines.

The supermarket chain says changes include removing plastic punnets from Nature’s Pick Cherry Tomatoes in select stores.

This change is already in place for Nature’s Pick Sliced Mushrooms and will soon be followed for Baby Plum Tomatoes. Additionally, Aldi is removing pulp trays from its Nature’s Pick Mango and Avocado twin packs.

If rolled out across all stores, these changes could lead to the UK’s fourth-largest supermarket removing over 370 tonnes of plastic and packaging annually.

“At Aldi, we are constantly reviewing ways to reduce excess plastic and packaging, and these trials on a range of our fruit and vegetables are the next steps in helping us achieve our goals,” says Luke Emery, plastics and packaging director at Aldi.

“Becoming a more sustainable supermarket is important to not only us but also our customers, and further reducing packaging is just one of many changes to come.”

These are just some of the latest changes in the supermarket’s continuing efforts to reduce its packaging use and develop alternative product packaging.

This is one of the several initiatives the supermarket chain has taken to reduce reliance on plastic packaging across its offerings.

In June, Aldi began trialing the removal of plastic packaging from its bananas in selected UK stores in Yorkshire, the South West, the South East, and the Midlands.

The supermarket switched to paper band alternatives for selected lines, such as its Nature’s Pick five-pack, midi bananas, and Organic six-pack.

If the trial proves successful, the retailer anticipates removing approximately 234 tonnes of plastic packaging annually.

In May, Aldi also launched a new recyclable wrap for two of its own-label butter products, a first for UK supermarkets.

Starting June, this paper-based alternative replaced the non-recyclable packaging currently used for Aldi’s block butter.

The Specially Selected West Country and Yorkshire block butter lines will initially feature this new packaging, potentially eliminating over ten tonnes of non-recyclable packaging annually.

This initiative is part of Aldi’s broader effort to reduce plastic waste. Following the recent shift from plastic to paper packaging for the company’s Everyday Essentials cheese singles, Aldi cut an additional 23 tonnes of plastic waste each year.

Sign up to receive our email newsletters with the latest news updates and insights from Africa and the World HERE