Aldi UK has a goal to incorporate 50% recycled material in its plastic packaging by 2025.
To accomplish this, it is taking steps across products. One of the latest is using 35% recycled material in its crisp packaging, according to a news release. Packaging for Aldi popcorn and lentil crisps will join the Specially Selected Hand Cooked Crisps bags by the end of 2024.
These changes could cut the grocery chain's virgin plastic consumption by 78 tonnes each year.
The release noted the use of recycled plastic is the first by a United Kingdom supermarket.
Other initiatives Aldi has introduced recently include dishwashing soap, soda, and water in 100% recycled polyethylene terephthalate containers. London dry gin, bananas, butter, and more will also be sold in paper-based bottles or wraps or with less plastic packaging.
"At Aldi, we are continuously making changes when it comes to reducing plastic waste, and we know how important this is to our customers too," plastics and packaging director Luke Emery said.
"Increasing the recycled content in our crisp packaging is just one way we are helping our customers to reduce their environmental impact, with all these little changes adding up to make an even bigger difference."
Globally, 141 million tonnes of plastic packaging is produced every year, according to the Waste and Resources Action Programme. One-third of it ends up in the environment. In the U.K., 70% of plastic waste comes from packaging.
Targeting this part of the industry in the face of rising plastic production could help the already growing retailer reach new heights. Aldi became the third-biggest supermarket in Great Britain recently, and it's been expanding in the United States too.
We need corporations to model these more sustainable practices on the way to a green future because plastic and other pollution are choking the planet. Wildlife — especially marine organisms — are injured and killed by plastic on a disturbing scale, and it enters the human food chain as microplastics.
These fragments enter our bodies and leach toxins, affecting our health. The chemicals in plastic have been found to cause cancer, reproductive problems, and more.
Join the movement to reduce plastic waste by opting for a reusable water bottle, basic cleaning products, and other items from plastic-aware brands such as Aldi.
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