// Aldi to extend a trial removing plastic from fresh vegetables
// The trial could avoid the use of over 100 tonnes of plastic a year without increasing food waste
// Aldi initially began selling five loose fresh produce lines without plastic wrapping in Scotland
Aldi has announced it will extend a trial removing plastic from fresh vegetables as part of a campaign to reduce plastic packaging.
The trial could avoid the use of over 100 tonnes of plastic a year without increasing food waste, if it is rolled out in all 830 of Aldi’s UK stores.
The German discounter initially began selling five loose fresh produce lines without plastic wrapping in Scotland earlier this year, and is now planning to extend the trial into England, starting in parts of the North East and South East from early next month.
The initiative applied to loose savoy cabbage, red cabbage, white cabbage, pointed cabbage and cauliflower, and has already saved over three tonnes of plastic.
“The trial of so-called ‘naked’ vegetables has had a very positive reception in Scotland and, as a result, we’re now looking to extend this trial into two of our regions in England,” Aldi UK managing director of corporate responsibility, Fritz Walleczek said.
“Cutting waste is at the heart of what we do. Where we can, our aim is to remove unnecessary plastic entirely without leading to unnecessary food waste. Where we can’t do that, we are committed to ensuring that packaging doesn’t end up as waste by ensuring that all ours is recyclable, reusable or compostable,” he said.
“It is initiatives like this that will help us achieve this goal and is a measure of our determination to be as sustainable and environmentally responsible a business as possible.”
Meanwhile, Aldi has pledged to ensure all of its own-label packaging will be recyclable, reusable or compostable by 2022 and aims to reduce plastic packaging by 25 per cent by the end of 2023.
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