To mark Recycle Week 2022, Aldi has shared five insider tips to help people shop more sustainably. Reducing use of single-use plastic on your weekly food shop could make a difference to the environment, and there are lots of simple changes you can make to get started.
Richard Gorman, Plastics and Packaging Director at Aldi, said the company has made several major changes itself to help customers recycle plastic waste.
Here are his top five tips for shopping more sustainably
1. Cut down on plastic
Choosing loose fruit and vegetables could make a big difference to the amount of plastic packaging needed, and the same goes for other types of products where extra plastic is used unnecessarily.
Aldi recently removed all plastic shrink wrap from multipacks of its Corale baked beans, a move that will help to save 78 tonnes of single-use plastic from going to landfill each year. It also removed plastic straws from all of its own-label drinks cartons and banned shrink wrap on soft drink can multipacks.
2. Try out refillable products
Opting for refillable alternatives to products packaged in plastic is a great way to reduce the amount of single-use plastic we consume. Aldi is currently trialling a nuts and coffee refill fixture at its eco concept store in Royal Leamington Spa.
This follows a pasta and rice refill trial in Cumbria last year, and refillable own-brand concentrated cleaning liquid across all stores.
3. Know your labels
It’s easy to identify how different packaging can be recycled when you know how. Learn more about the symbols here and check your local area’s recycling rules, as they can vary in different places.
The condition of your recycled products can determine if it ultimately ends up in general waste, even if you had the best of intentions.
To recycle more effectively, squash your bottles and put the lids back on to avoid liquid getting in and lids ending up in general waste. Also, make sure to wash your packaging so that foods and liquids don’t contaminate your recyclable materials.
4. ‘Hard to recycle’ items
Most UK local authorities do not accept certain materials despite their potential for recycling, including things like soft plastics, medicine packets and batteries.
To help customers, at Aldi, the shop is rolling out recycling bins for all types of clean, soft plastic packaging across UK stores, including crisp packets, salad bags, bread bags and carrier bags.
Separately, its eco concept store is trialling a ‘hard to recycle’ unit at the store entrance. This recycling point makes Aldi the first UK retailer to accept items such as coffee pods and medicine packets for recycling, with the units also accepting batteries, soft plastics and cosmetic packaging.
5. Everyday items
Switching to greener alternatives for your supermarket staples can make a big difference. For example, Aldi’s own-brand tea bags are 100% plastic-free and biodegradable.
It also removed single-use plastic from all own-brand wipes earlier this year, making the switch to 100% plant-based fibres instead, and is currently trialling clear caps on milk bottles in a bid to further improve their recyclability.
