The Aldi supermarket chain has been working to reduce the amount of plastic that is used in their stores. One example of this effort is the introduction of eco-friendly bags that are 100% biodegradable in all of their 139 stores in Ireland. This change eliminates 12.5 million single-use plastic bags per year, and it will eventually be implemented in all of Aldi’s stores. It is part of a new eco-friendly system that includes biodegradable loose produce bags, reusable shopping bags, and recyclable paper bags. The loose produce and shopping bags can be put into regular compost bins and are made from corn starch. The recyclable paper bags are made from eco-friendly paper and can carry up to 20 kilograms.

The next step for Aldi is to eliminate packaging like polystyrene, PVC and black plastic from their core range of foods. They have already banned this type of black plastic packaging from use in their fruits, vegetables and fresh beef. John Curtin, Group Buying Director at Aldi, said they were “very proud” to be the first retailer in Ireland to offer biodegradable and plastic-free alternatives. He said that the next step is to ensure that 100% of Aldi’s packaging will be reusable, recyclable, or compostable by the end of 2022. “It is a long journey, but every little step like this brings us closer to our target of cutting the amount of plastic we use in packaging.”