A trip to Aldi is always great for your wallet, but the chain poses the same excess and polluting packaging problem as other stores. The discount grocer, however, is set to gain ground on competitors with a new initiative.
The trial, set for a handful of regions in England, could cut about 258 tons of plastic banana packaging each year by replacing it with paper bands, Packaging Gateway reported. Products including Nature's Pick five-packs, organic six-packs, and a type of bananas will no longer use plastic bags.
"At Aldi, we know how important reducing plastic is to our customers, colleagues and the future of the planet," Aldi plastics and packaging director Luke Emery said. "We are constantly reviewing ways we can do this, and our latest trial on bananas is another great step on that journey."
Packaging Gateway detailed Aldi's other ventures to reduce plastic waste: using thinner bags for onions, recyclable paper for its block butter, and recycled polyethylene terephthalate packaging for its dish soap. Combined, this could eliminate 142 tons of trash annually.
These actions are desperately needed to reduce plastic production, which is increasing at an alarming rate. The petroleum-based material is "fueled by an oversupply of fracked gas," the Center for Biological Diversity reports, and its production and single-use lifespan contribute to rapidly rising global temperatures by releasing gases into the atmosphere that envelop our blanket like a blanket.
Pollution linked to plastic is set to rise from about 900 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalent per year in 2019 to 1.3 billion tons by 2030, according to Yale Environment 360.
Individuals can take steps to decrease their plastic consumption, but it's up to corporations, governments, and even the wealthy to drive change to ensure a sustainable future.
You can support plastic-free brands, use a metal water bottle, and ditch single-use coffee pods — all those little things add up.
But Aldi and others must do their part by divesting from Big Oil. Banks must do the same.
We can put pressure on executives and politicians alike by switching to financial institutions that don't invest in dirty energy producers and voting for candidates who will address climate issues with legislation.
Everything you do can help in the push for a better tomorrow.
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