Plastic Bank is a social enterprise that makes plastic a currency. It helps to reduce packaging waste in the environment and at the same time fights poverty. Carelessly disposed plastic is collected and reprocessed into secondary raw material. Manufacturers which produce packaging or textiles can purchase these materials and reinsert it into more sustainable and socially ethical products. 

ALDI supports Plastic Bank both with funding and through our international carbon offsetting in collaboration with ClimatePartner.

In 2019, Cotton made in Africa (CmiA) and the local cotton company SAN-JFS developed a recycling project in Mozambique. This project supports women from local farming communities who operate eco-collection points. Over 72,000 empty pesticide containers were collected and sent for recycling in the first year and benefitted up to 20,000 farmers. With the exclusive support of ALDI, the project is able to continue into a second phase and benefit even more farmers.

© Cotton made in Africa

According to our CR Principles, the ALDI SOUTH Group is striving to be a carbon-neutral company. Following a significant reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and the use of renewable energy across the Group, several ALDI SOUTH countries are climate neutral. Carbon offsets make up for the rest by funding environmental projects.

To continue to deliver against our broader climate target, we are supporting the following environmentally-focused projects:

Forest protection in Brazil

Forests are not only among the planet's most important carbon reservoirs. They are also home to an enormous diversity of species and are the livelihood for local communities. This project is offering land to small farmers instead of soy plantations. The aim is to continue to preserve the rainforest and to provide its inhabitants - the “Ribeirinhos” - with land rights. This secures the livelihood of the local residents and saves around 3,000 hectares from deforestation.

Clean cook stoves in Ghana

In many of the world's poorer regions, families cook their meals over an open fire, often in enclosed spaces. This method of cooking is not energy efficient as large amounts of heat go to waste. Clean cooking stoves are simple devices made from metal or clay. Thanks to their better heat isolation, the clean cooking facilities enable the reduction of charcoal usage of up to 40 %. This increases energy efficiency and decreases carbon emissions. Additionally the project helps to protect local forests, creates new job opportunities and improves health conditions for families.

Clean drinking water in Uganda

A clean drinking water supply has positive effects both on the climate and the health conditions of local communities. Broken boreholes are identified, repaired and maintained, which gives people access to clean drinking water without having to boil it. The project saves the carbon emissions that would result from boiling water, usually on open fires or inefficient stoves. It also improves people's living conditions and protects local forests by reducing firewood consumption.

Fight against plastic in the Philippines, Indonesia, Brazil and Haiti

Over 8 million tonnes of plastic waste flows into the ocean each year - the equivalent of one truckload per minute. ‘Plastic Bank’ fights against the increasing amount of plastic in the world‘s oceans by offering money for plastic. The plastic is then recycled and turned into new products. At the same time, a wind farm project in the Philippines is supported to realize the actual reduction of carbon emissions.

Solar energy in India

Replacing energy from fossil fuels with clean energy is an essential part of the fight against global warming. Since energy from solar panels is created without burning fossil fuels, it is considered emission-free. The solar power plant funded through this project contributes to making the Indian power grid greener. In addition, the operators of the plants are involved in various initiatives aimed at positively impacting the welfare of the local community.

Further projects are additionally supported on national level. 

Retailer Cocoa Collaboration

In September 2019, the ALDI SOUTH Group joined the newly-formed Retailer Cocoa Collaboration (RCC) which commits to support the Cocoa and Forests Initiative. This initiative will drive change by protecting and restoring forests in Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana and Colombia. The RCC will also map collective cocoa supply chains to gain a greater understanding of the social and environmental risks found in production countries. The trader assessment conducted by RCC will also provide us with greater transparency and insight into lower supply chain tiers.

Fairtrade cocoa project in Côte d'Ivoire

Since 2020, the ALDI SOUTH Group and Fairtrade  have been collaborating on a project in Côte d’Ivoire to improve working conditions and livelihoods for local cocoa farmers. The project analyses the impact of ALDI’s business operations on the community and environment, increases traceability of our cocoa products and provides a basis for further projects together with Fairtrade. As part of the project, ALDI’s business partner will source cocoa beans which are 100% traceable from the selected cooperative for our cocoa-based products.

Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO)

In 2011, the ALDI SOUTH Group became a member of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), a not-for-profit organisation that unites stakeholders from the palm oil industry to develop and implement global standards for sustainable palm oil. The RSPO has more than 4,800 members worldwide who represent all links along the palm oil supply chain. They have committed to produce, source and/or use sustainable palm oil certified by the RSPO.

Working together

Since 2019, the ALDI SOUTH Group is the only retail representative of the RSPO Smallholder Standing Committee (SHSC). The SHSC’s responsibilities include overseeing the execution of the RSPO Smallholder Strategy and decision making throughout the implementation of the RSPO Smallholder Strategy.

Palm oil smallholder project in Côte d'Ivoire (2017-2021)

Since 2017, the ALDI SOUTH Group, together with ALDI Nord, have been supporting a smallholder project in Côte d'Ivoire in order to pave the way for sustainable cultivation of palm. In close cooperation with our NGO partner Solidaridad, we have developed a project focussing on the protection of natural forests and environmentally friendly cultivation methods. Solidaridad offers training for 2,100 smallholders on natural forest protection and environmentally friendly cultivation methods, which are compatible with resource conservation requirements. The cooperatives engaged are COOPALEN, UCCOPES and COOPTOSA from the Sud Comoé region, UCOOPALM from the Grand Ponts region, USCOPAHLD from Loh Djiboua and U3SC from San Pedro.

Palm Oil Transparency Coalition (POTC)

We are founding member of the Palm Oil Transparency Coalition (POTC). POTC is a group of businesses working together in a pre-competitive coalition to remove deforestation and exploitation from the palm oil sector. We engage and review the major international importers of palm oil to determine their progress towards tackling deforestation and exploitation in their palm oil supply chains. Our approach aims to promote transparency and encourage progress beyond certification.

Retailer Palm Oil Group (RPOG)

The ALDI SOUTH Group has been a member of the Retailers' Palm Oil Group (RPOG) since 2012. RPOG is a non-competitive coalition of retailers who have the common aim of making the use of sustainable palm oil the norm across all relevant supply chains.

Retail Soy Group (RSG)

The ALDI SOUTH Group joined the Retail Soy Group (RSG) in 2017. The RSG is an independent group of international retailers collaborating pre-competitively to find industry-wide solutions for sustainable soy for their animal feed and food supply chains.

Collective Soy Reporting (CSR)

Since 2018, we participate in the Collective Soy Reporting together with a group of other retailers to

• quantify the amount of soymeal present in animal feed used in 2018
• Identify where the soy was produced
• determine whether any of the soymeal carried a recognised deforestation free production certification

Overall, more than 230 livestock producers, packers, and manufacturing suppliers fed into the report.

Based on the results, we engage with relevant stakeholders and develop appropriate measures to increase the share of deforestation-free soy in our supply chain.

Round Table on Responsible Soy (RTRS)

The ALDI SOUTH Group became a member of the Round Table on Responsible Soy (RTRS) in 2017. The RTRS is a global platform for multi-stakeholder dialogue to promote responsible production, processing and trading of soy on a global level. Its mission is to encourage soybean production to be verified by a certification standard and produced in a responsible manner. Its objective is to reduce the social and environmental impacts of soy while maintaining or improving the economic status for the producer.

Soy Transparency Coalition (STC)

We are a founding member of the Soy Transparency Coalition (STC), which was established in 2020. The STC is a pre-competitive coalition whose aim is to help deliver a sustainable soy production system. The STC does this by engaging with major international soy traders on tackling deforestation and transparency challenges in soy supply chains.