Discount supermarket Aldi has adopted a new sustainability charter to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, reduce food and industrial waste, and responsibly improve packaging and sourcing while maintaining access to food and groceries and keeping customers affordable through 2030.
By 2025, the increased use of renewable energy will aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 26%. To that end, Aldi US, based in Batavia, Illinois, said it plans to continue the transition to solar and wind energy purchases and strengthen its renewable infrastructure to reduce its reliance on the gray grid. Aldi currently has solar panels in 111 stores and 12 distribution centers across the country. The goal is to add solar power to warehouses in Alabama and Kansas by the end of 2022 and to add solar power to nearly 60 stores.
The retailer noted that it has been recognized by the Environmental Protection Agency as a leader in “green” energy and now buys enough renewable energy every year to service more than 2,000 stores in 25 warehouses and offices in 37 states. Energy is sourced through Green-e and the company has obtained renewable energy certification to verify its clean energy investment.
In addition, to help reduce emissions, Aldi uses natural refrigerants in its warehouses and nearly 400 stores in the United States, reducing its environmental impact by 4,000 times compared to regular coolers. The company said the plan will require a constant switch to natural refrigerants in all stores, adding that by 2020 it will have more EPA GreenChill certifications than any previous supermarket chain, all of which are platinum.
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In terms of waste reduction, Aldi has set a target of eliminating 90% of its industrial waste by 2025 and halving its food waste by 2030. The supermarket chain said it was still working on a plan to reduce waste. Plans include composting, food donation programs, and more food recycling.
Aldi reports that it has removed waste from warehouses and warehouses, recycled food, plastic films, corrugated cardboard, paper, metals and other materials. Last year, the company recycled approximately 300,000 tons of materials, which emit greenhouse gases equivalent to nearly 9 million liters of gasoline every month. Aldi has also donated more than £ 29 million of product to Feeding America Food Bank or those products will end up in landfills.
Recycling is also at the heart of Aldi’s efforts to reduce waste and reduce its carbon footprint. The company’s goal is to reduce packaging material by 15% by 2025 and convert all Aldi packaging materials into reusable, recyclable, or compostable materials. The retailer stated that more than 90% of the products sold in Aldi stores are proprietary products.
In its recycling and packaging program, Aldi plans to remove polystyrene foam from all agricultural product packaging by the end of 2021 and convert all of its own packaging (including plastic) into reusable, recyclable or compostable materials by 2025. has redesigned its packaging to remove or reduce excess plastic in products such as tea and bread. Some stores have also started using alternative packaging for perishable items, such as blueberries and tomatoes (20% less plastic than traditional packaging) and mixed green peppers (44% less plastic).
Products are also labeled to promote home recycling, such as using cardboard caps for more than 90% of clothing and testing apples in recyclable and compostable paper bags in some stores.
Aldi pointed out that it has never supplied single-use plastic bags on packaging boxes, but only sells reusable cloth bags and plastic bags, and it is estimated that these plastic bags and plastic bags have eliminated more than 15 billion plastic bags. Ocean. The retailer said he also handles all multipurpose plastic bags at six stores in Richmond, Virginia.
“You can’t ignore the effect that plastic has on the world,” said Hart. “We cannot eliminate plastic everywhere overnight, but we will continue to work hard and do our best to get rid of plastic. Where we need plastic, we choose materials that contribute to the circular economy of plastic. “