Packaging

Our Approach

Product packaging plays an important role in protecting our products from damage and environmental influences in order to ensure quality of our products and to avoid food waste. However, we are aware that packaging can pose a threat to the environment if managed incorrectly and not integrated into the recycling process.

To tackle this issue, we have set ourselves ambitious goals aimed at increasing material efficiency and circularity of our ALDI own-brand product packaging. We are working with our business partners to push for more environmental-friendly packaging options across our product range. By adhering to the internationally recognised and legally established waste hierarchy, we strive to

avoid oversized or unnecessary packaging material,
maximise recyclability, and
increase recycled content in our plastic packaging.

Our Actions

Working with experts

In collaboration with external experts, we have developed an international guideline for environmentally responsible product packaging, which includes recommendations and examples for evaluating sustainable product packaging. This guideline is based on the international waste hierarchy.

Reduce reuse recycle

Sustainable packaging innovations

TechForunds Accelator Programme — ALDI SOUTH Germany supports startups to promote innovative packaging solutions in collaboration with the Accelerator Programme TechFounders.

The evaluation and implementation of environmentally responsible product packaging across the ALDI SOUTH Group is conducted in cooperation with our business partners. We work with our suppliers on sustainable packaging innovations in order to be informed of current developments and possibilities for improvements in this sector.

Our CR Performance (2020)

Our Goals:

All wood and paper-based components contained in the product packaging of our ALDI own brand core range food and non-food products are to be produced from certified raw materials or recycled materials by the end of 2021.
The total weight of our ALDI own brand product packaging shall be reduced by 15% in relation to sales by the end of 2025. Suppliers have to ensure that a minimum amount of material is used without compromising the product safety.
All ALDI own brand product packaging have to be recyclable, compostable or reusable latest by the end of 2025.
By 2025, we aim to have 30% recycled content in our own brand plastic packaging on average.

Additionally to our international goals highlighted above, some of our national organisations have even more ambitious targets in place.

The implementation of a new IT Infrastructure in some of our European marketplaces led to temporary reporting impediments, which influenced the group-wide performance figure.

COVID-19 led to postponing final production facility audits. As a consequence, the goal on paper-based product packaging has been expanded to the end of 2021.

74%

of products with certified/recycled paper-based product packaging

More: CR Performance

Our Projects & Memberships

People standing in front of Plastic Bank

Copyright: Climate Partner

Project in the Philippines

Fight against plastic

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 an environmentally-focused project.

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.

Copyright: Climate Partner

More: Plastic Bank

Women holding empty pesticide containers

Project in Mozambique

Cotton made in Africa recycling project

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

More: Cotton made in Africa

Working Group

Plastic Waste Coalition (CGF)

In 2021, the ALDI SOUTH Group became a member of The Consumer Goods Forum (“CGF”) Coalition of Action on Plastic Waste. The Coalition was founded in 2020 with the aim of developing a more circular approach to the development and processing of plastic packaging in the consumer goods industry.

As a CEO-led group of 36 committed and innovative retailers and manufacturers, the Coalition’s vision of accelerating progress towards the New Plastics Economy is embodied by its central aims for members to work towards implementing impactful measures through multi-stakeholder collaborations that will help make circularity the norm in the industry.