Aldi slashes food waste and sets new 2030 target

Aldi has announced a 57 per cent reduction in its food waste as a percentage of total food sales, achieving its 2030 target eight years ahead of schedule.

The UK’s fourth-largest supermarket announced this latest milestone as it published its inaugural sustainability report in late December.

The business had committed to reduce food waste by 20 per cent by 2025 (relative to a 2017 baseline) and to halve food waste by 2030, in line with the Courtauld 2030 and UN SDG Champions 12.3 commitments.

As it has achieved both goals early, Aldi has revised its current target and is aiming to reduce food waste by 90 per cent by 2030.

The retailer said it is working hard to prevent waste in its operations wherever possible and is working with food redistribution companies like Company Shop Group to redistribute food where any waste does occur. The supermarket also announced its partnership with the world’s largest surplus food platform Too Good To Go earlier this year.

Since 2019, Aldi has donated 40 million meals to good causes via its charity partner Neighbourly and has donated one million meals this festive season alone.

Aldi’s sustainability report also highlights the success of its new eco concept store, which it opened last year as part of its efforts to significantly reduce emissions in its operations while making it easier for shoppers to reduce, reuse and recycle.

The store is trialling refill fixtures to help customers shop more sustainably and is using energy saving initiatives such as solar panels and chiller doors to reduce energy consumption. Meanwhile, redesigning the building structure has also helped reduce overall energy demand by 57 per cent.

Liz Fox, national sustainability director at Aldi UK, said: “We’re dedicated to taking steps that positively impact the environment and we know one area where we can have a big impact is food waste.

“This has never been more important – not only for the planet, but in helping people get access to food that’s both high-quality and affordable.

“We’re proud of the progress we’re making, which we’re pleased to share in our first sustainability report, and that’s why we’re looking to push ourselves even further. As we continue to expand our footprint and broaden our customer base, we want to continue to do so in a sustainable and responsible way.

“We know this is important to Aldi shoppers and to our supply partners. And while we still have a lot of work to do, we’re always looking for new ways to innovate to lower our environmental impact across our operations, whether through using renewable energy to power our stores and redistribution centres, to reducing food waste and packaging.”

Giles Hurley, CEO at Aldi UK, said: “We’ve seen millions of shoppers switch to Aldi during a time when many household incomes are squeezed. At the same time, consumers expect businesses to act responsibly.

“We have a huge role to play in making sustainability affordable for all. We believe that doing the right thing for people and the planet, while offering unbeatable prices, can go hand-in-hand and we’ll continue to report on our progress in the months and years to come.”