Aldi has revealed five major changes to its operations and stores to mark Great British Green Week.

The supermarket has shared five changes it has made over recent years to reduce its environmental footprint, as it marks the sustainability week.

Liz Fox, National Sustainability Director at Aldi UK, said: “We know it is just as important to our customers and our suppliers as it is to us that we continue to look for new and innovative ways to make our business more sustainable.

“We’re dedicated to taking steps that positively impact the environment, whether that’s reducing our plastic packaging or using renewable energy in stores, and we’re proud of the progress we’ve made so far.”

These are the changes Aldi has made.

Cutting back on plastic

Aldi has recently made changes to several product lines in a bid to further reduce plastic waste and improve the recyclability of its products.

For example, it recently swapped out the plastic packaging on its own-label toothbrushes for a fully-recyclable cardboard alternative, while it is also rolling out new fully recyclable paper-based packaging for its Specially Selected West Country and Yorkshire block butter.

Separately, as part of its target to include 50% recycled content into its plastic packaging by 2025, Aldi became the first supermarket to move to 100% recycled plastic (rPet) for its own-brand soft drinks and bottled water range in England and Wales.

Fighting food waste

In early 2023, Aldi teamed up with organisations offering surplus food solutions, including Too Good To Go and Company Shop, in a bid to prevent food from going to waste.

Aldi extended its partnership with Company shop so that surplus stock from its Regional Distribution Centres is now available from Community Shop stores across the UK at discounted prices, as a way to help those in need.

Boosting British businesses

Aldi invested more than ever before in British suppliers and growers last year, meaning they now provide more than three quarters of all products sold in its stores.

The supermarket also works with around 5,000 suppliers across the UK in total, with long-standing relationships enabling these businesses to invest in their own sustainability goals.

Saving energy in stores

Aldi has invested in initiatives across its stores to reduce its carbon footprint and save energy.

For example, to reduce carbon emissions, the supermarket switched to 100% green electricity in 2015 and to reduce energy has introduced the use of solar panels across all new stores alongside implementing more efficient fridges and lights, as well as chiller doors and air-source heat pumps. 

Bringing transport and logistics into the future

Transport and logistics are vital in making sure Aldi’s products make their way from its suppliers to its Regional Distribution Centres and ultimately to its customers.

The supermarket is in the process of transitioning to lower-carbon fuels for its HGVs, and has adapted its fleet so they have a more aerodynamic shape, to further save fuel and CO2 emissions.

The supermarket is also currently trialling rapid electric vehicle chargers at several stores across the UK, helping customers access faster charging while they shop in store.