Aldi switches to cardboard packaging for its own-label porridge pots to reduce plastic waste

UK – Multinational discount supermarket chain, Aldi has announced plans to switch to cardboard packaging for its own-brand porridge pots in a bid to combat plastic waste.

The retailer will roll out the fully recyclable, card-based porridge pots at all its UK stores from early next year. Aldi said this will make it the first supermarket to implement such a change.

The switch to cardboard packaging is expected to prevent an estimated 175 tonnes of plastic from going onto the market each year.

Aldi plastic and packaging director Richard Gorman said: “Moving to cardboard for our porridge pots is yet another step forward in our commitment to reducing the use of plastic across our products.

“We know how important protecting the environment is to our customers, which is why we are committed to making changes like this that help make a difference.”

The initiative is part of Aldi’s wider commitment to reducing and removing unnecessary plastic from its products.

In 2018, the retailer announced a goal to make all its own-label products recyclable, reusable or compostable by this year and do this for branded products sold at Aldi by 2025.

In May this year, it removed the plastic shrink wrap from all its Corale baked bean multipacks in a move expected to prevent 78 tonnes of single-use plastic from being sent to landfill a year.

Aldi also plans to launch a pilot to remove the outer plastic wrap from its sweetcorn mini packs at a number of its stores later this year.

Earlier this year, Aldi announced it would remove plastic packaging from its entire range of own-label Easter eggs. This will remove around 24 tonnes of plastic from its stores.

The move came after the retailer made several other packaging changes to its Easter product range, which had made it fully recyclable.

Last month, the supermarket chain expanded its soft plastic collection points to nearly all its stores in the UK.

The supermarket said the goal is to help reduce plastic pollution and to help customers to recycle more waste per year.

Following the success of the trial last year, the move means customers can return soft plastic packaging such as crisp packets, bread bags and carrier bags – regardless of where the items were bought.

Aldi has said it expects to collect 1,000 tonnes of plastic a year once the bins are fully installed in over 800 stores nationwide, which will be complete by the end of this year.

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Further Reading:

WRAP urges UK government to ban packaging for fresh produce Sainsbury’s introduces plastic-free avocado packaging Belgium enforces stricter packaging waste laws for enterprises