German discounter Aldi Nord has launched private-label, sustainable cotton buds in cardboard packaging under its Biocura label.
The product will be available in Aldi Süd stores from the spring of 2020.
Sustainable Product
The cotton swabs comprise FSC-certified paper shafts and cotton wool heads made of certified organic cotton.
The paper stalks will help the retailer to cut the use of plastics in its operations by 380 tonnes a year, it said.
This in turn will help it meet the requirements of the EU Disposable Plastic Directive, which prohibits the circulation of cotton buds with plastic shafts from 2021.
According to the European Commission, plastic shafts from cotton buds are the tenth most common item of plastic waste in the sea.
Packaging
The product is packaged in cardboard boxes made entirely from FSC-certified paper, designed to help the retailer further reduce its annual plastic use by 70 tonnes.
It will also feature a 'plastic-free' label and provide instructions about disposing of the packaging.
Aldi has claimed that the initiative will make it the first grocery retailer to offer a completely sustainable alternative in the cotton buds category.
© 2019 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Dayeeta Das. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine.
