Discount supermarket Aldi UK has set an ambitious new sustainability goal after hitting its 2030 target eight years early and reducing food waste by 57%.
The milestone was revealed in Aldi’s inaugural sustainability report, which offers insights into its environmental and social work.
The business had initially committed to reduce food waste by 20% by 2025 and to halve it by 2030, in line with the Courtauld 2030 and UN SDG Champions 12.3 commitments (and relative to a 2017 baseline).
Now, the UK’s fourth-largest supermarket is aiming to reduce food waste by 90% by 2030.
Aldi UK’s national sustainability director Liz Fox said the retailer is “dedicated to taking steps that positively impact the environment”, adding that food waste is “one area where we can have a big impact”.
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“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,” she added.
“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.”
Initiatives like Aldi’s partnership with food distribution companies, surplus food platform Too Good To Go and charity partner Neighbourly (which has seen it donate 40 million meals to good causes) have all allowed the supermarket to redistribute food wherever possible.
The sustainability report also highlights the success of Aldi’s new eco concept store, which opened last year and was designed to reduce carbon consumption and make it easier for shoppers to reduce waste.
It is also trialling refill fixtures and is using energy-saving initiatives such as solar panels and chiller doors to reduce energy consumption. Redesigning the building structure has helped reduce overall energy demand by 57%.
Aldi UK CEO Giles Hurley said the supermarket has “a huge role to play” in making sustainability affordable.
“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.”
