Aldi stores in the UK are ditching their single-use £0.05p plastic bags to cut waste and will instead offer bags for life and reusable £0.09p bags that will be made from back-of-store plastic waste. The supermarket has pledged its support to a cross-sector enterprise set up by Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP).
Earlier this year Aldi announced plans to make all of their own brand packaging items reusable, recyclable or compostable by 2022 and pledged to reduce operational food waste by 50 per cent by 2030. To increase their success of this, the supermarket is working with both internal and independent experts.
CEO of Aldi UK and Ireland, Matthew Barnes, said: “Our customers trust us not only to offer them high quality products at unbeatable prices, but to help them lead healthier, better lives. That includes reducing waste, particularly around unnecessary packaging and plastics that damage the environment we live in.
“While we cannot do this alone – and call on others to collaborate with us and others to drive change industry-wide – we are committed to doing all we can to lead the way and to bring our customers on this journey with us.”
WRAP CEO Marcus Gover said: “We welcome Aldi taking positive action to reduce plastic waste. Through WRAP’s new ambitious, cross-sector initiative, which will be unveiled soon, we will work together with governments, citizens and businesses to transform the way we make, use and dispose of plastic so that we retain its value, particularly in reducing food waste, but prevent it from polluting the environment.”
Aldi has charged for single-use plastic bags since their first UK store opened in 1990 and has used recycled plastic to make carrier bags since the middle of 2017.