Aldi has slashed food waste by almost 60% as it sets a new 2030 target after achieving its previous sustainability milestone eight years early.
The UK’s fourth largest supermarket has already reached a 57% reduction in food waste in 2017, allowing it to hit its original 2030 target.
The discounter has also donated 40 million meals to good causes since 2019 via charity partner Neighbourly, with one million meals donated this festive season alone.
Elsewhere, it has launched initiatives such as opening a new eco-concept store designed to significantly reduce carbon consumption through energy-saving infrastructure while making it easier for shoppers to reduce, reuse and recycle.
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The business had also committed to reducing food waste by 20% by 2025 and to halve food waste by 2030, in line with the Courtauld 2030 and UN SDG Champions 12.3 commitments.
Having achieved both targets, Aldi has set a renewed milestone, aiming to reduce food waste by 90% by 2030.
Aldi UK national sustainability director Liz Fox 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.”
“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.”
Aldi UK CEO Giles Hurley added: “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.”
