Aldi trials four loose fruit and vegetable lines to reduce plastic waste

UK – Discount supermarket chain, Aldi is trialing four new loose fruit and vegetable lines in an attempt to further minimize plastic waste.

Starting this week (commencing 4 September), garlic, limes, lemons and oranges will be introduced as loose in certain Aldi stores across England.

Selected stores in the North East, Cumbria, Yorkshire, the South East, and London will begin offering loose garlic and limes, while shoppers in the East of England, the East Midlands and London will be able to purchase loose garlic, limes, oranges and lemons.

If rolled out across all stores, the move will see Aldi remove a further 94 tonnes of plastic packaging per year.

Aldi’s plastics and packaging director, Luke Emery, said: “By trialing these packaging-free produce lines, we hope to help customers cut back on unnecessary plastic when shopping at Aldi.”

The discounter already offers loose produce options in a number of fruits and vegetables, including potatoes, peppers and avocadoes.

The latest move follows Aldi’s recent announcement to eliminate all the single-use cutlery from its Food to Go range available across all its stores in the UK.

Aldi says that the initiative will reduce 10.5 million or 28 tonnes (t) of wooden forks in salads and pasta bowls, resulting in a significant reduction in the retailer’s single-use items.

With aims to reduce environmental impact, the retailer encourages customers to switch to

Emery said: “At Aldi, we are constantly reviewing ways to become more environmentally friendly, and this is another positive change to help us make a difference.

Vacuum, flow-wrap packaging for beef mince products

In a similar move to reduce plastic use by up to 73%, Aldi last month announced trialing vacuum and flow-wrap packaging for its beef mince products.

The retailer has already commenced the vacuum packaging trial across some of its stores in Leicestershire, Northamptonshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire, West Midlands and Worcestershire.

The flow-wrap packaging is expected to be rolled out later in November at select Aldi stores in the same areas.

This trial will allow the retailer to assess and understand customers’ preferences in terms of packaging. It will further help Aldi to minimize the amount of plastic used in its product packaging.

The production of this sustainable packaging alternative uses no carbon dioxide, contributing to more environmental benefits.

In addition, Aldi said that the vacuum and flow-wrap packs will not have any impact on the quality or taste of the product inside. It will increase the overall shelf life of the beef mince by keeping it fresh for a long time.

The latest move comes after Aldi decided to transition to colorless caps for its milk products across all its 990 stores in the UK.

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