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ALDI FALAFEL & VEGGIE BURGER RANGES SWITCH TO 100% RECYCLABLE TRAYS

Aldi Ireland announced it has moved all its own-label falafel and veggie burger ranges to 100% recyclable trays, a change which will see more than 16 tonnes of non-recyclable material removed from stores annually.

The move involves more than 1.2 million trays used each year to package a wide variety of products across the two ranges, including Aldi’s Specially Selected Thai Bites and Sweet Potato Falafel, as well as Aldi’s Deli range, which includes Mediterranean and Moroccan Falafel, Beetroot Falafel, and Sweet Potato Burger, to name a few. Products featuring the new packaging solution have been arriving into stores in recent weeks as part of Aldi’s plastics and packaging strategy.

Aldi has been working with its supplier, Gosh! Foods Ltd (which is dedicated to 100% vegan and free-from products), over the past 12 months to implement the change across its 142 Irish stores. The initiative is part of Aldi’s

ongoing long-term plastic reduction programme of having 100% recyclable, reusable or compostable packaging across its products by 2025.

Commenting, John Curtin, Aldi’s Group Buying Director, said: “Moving our falafel and veggie burger ranges tofully recyclable packaging is further progress as Aldi works towards achieving our goal of having 100% recyclable, reusable or compostable packaging across all our products. Customers expect more sustainable and eco-friendly options when they shop, and it’s been very rewarding for us to work with our Gosh! Foods to create a more sustainable solution for our range. It’s a positive result for Aldi, our customers and the environment.”

Aldi is working to ensure that 100% of its own-label packaging will be recyclable, reusable or compostable by 2022, and aims to achieve a 50% reduction (relative to 2015 levels) in packaging across its own-label products by 2025. As well as this, Aldi is working to remove all expanded polystyrene trays, non-detectable black plastic trays, and PVC from all Aldi own-brand product packaging by the end of 2020.

To date, Aldi has implemented a series of changes in stores such as introducing compostable and recyclable packaging in its fresh herb range, the removal of non-recyclable black plastic from its fresh meat range and introducing three new environmentally friendly bag options in its stores, saving the use of 12.5 million plastic bags annually.