Aldi Portugal has published its strategy for reducing packaging and plastics which is governed by the three main guidelines - reduce, reuse, and recycle.
According to the company’s corporate responsibility manager, Elke Muranyi, the aim is to reduce the materials used in packaging and to improve the sustainability of private-label packaging, including its recyclability.
The retailer is in talks with suppliers, specialists, and technicians to achieve the goal.
Circular Economy
The discounter has implemented a set of measures that allow contributing to a circular economy and the protection of resources.
These measures include internal procedures, activities to raise awareness among customers and employees, and providing sustainable solutions to customers.
Aldi Portugal will offer sustainable alternatives to shopping bags, and place pictograms on the packaging to help consumers to recycle the packaging correctly.
At the beginning of 2018, it published an International Wood Purchasing Policy, defining the exclusive use of raw materials from sustainable cultivation or recycled materials in all wood products and in cardboard and paper packaging.
Phasing Out Plastic Bags
Lidl Portugal started phasing out plastic bags in all its stores last month, a process which it aims to complete by the end of the year.
It move is expected to result in the elimination of around 25 million plastic bags annually.
As an alternative to plastic bags, the retailer will provide customers with medium and large paper bags, for €0.10 and €0.14 respectively, made of 60-70% recycled pulp that has acquired an FSC Mixed certification.
It will also continue to offer raffia bags, made of 60% recycled material for €0.50.
According to the Portuguese Environment Agency (APA), the average per capita consumption of plastic bags amounts to 466 annually.
The measure will correspond to 675 tonnes less plastic in the environment, per year.
In 2018, Lidl Portugal committed to reduce its plastic consumption by at least 20% and incorporate recyclable materials in all private-label packaging by 2025.
© 2019 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Branislav Pekic. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine.
