Aldi is changing how customers will pack fresh fruit and veg in its stores

The much-loved budget supermarket chain is attempting to cut down on plastic waste so you’ll have to bring your own bags for produce.

The new initiative hopes to reduce the amount of single-use plastic used by Aldi shoppers, and will scrap the plastic bags used to package loose fruit and veg from nearly 900 stores.

Shoppers will instead be encouraged to bring their own bags or buy one of Aldi’s reusable bags for 25p. 

Speaking about the changes, Aldi UK & Ireland’s plastics & packaging director, Chris McKenry, said: “Aldi is committed to reducing plastic waste, and evolving our approach to the sale and distribution of our bags is a critical part of that.

“We’ve already made good headway with removing and replacing avoidable plastics across our product range, but now it is time to step things up when it comes to bags and providing our customers with sustainable alternatives.”

The initiative is part of six pledges introduced to the chain in 2018, which include:

1. Eliminate problematic plastic packaging (black plastic, PVC and EPS) from Core Range Food by 2020
2. 100% of own-label packaging to be reusable, recyclable or compostable by 2022 (and Branded products by 2025)
3. Reduce plastic packaging by 50% by 2025 (against a 2019 baseline)
4. Reduce all packaging by 50% by 2025 (against a 2015 baseline)
5. 50% of plastic packaging to be made of recycled content by 2025 (30% by 2021)
6. 100% pulp-based packaging across Core Range must be FSC or PEFC certified or made of minimum 70% recycled content by 2020

The supermarket chain says it has already removed 6,000 tonnes of plastic from own-label products and replaced more than 3,200 tonnes of unrecyclable plastic with recyclable alternatives.

Some shoppers aren’t keen on the idea, though, because of ‘dirty hands’ handling fresh food. However, most products are available pre-packed for customers who don’t want to take part in the recycling initiative.