Aldi has revealed that it has achieved a 57% reduction in food waste since 2017, surpassing its 2030 target eight years early.
This significant achievement comes to light in the supermarket's inaugural sustainability report, shedding light on Aldi's commitment to societal and environmental contributions.
Exceeding targets
Initially committing to a 20% reduction in food waste by 2025, with a subsequent goal of halving it by 2030, Aldi has not only met but surpassed these targets in alignment with Courtauld 2030 and UN SDG Champions 12.3 commitments.
In response to this achievement, the discount supermarket has revised its future goal, now aiming to slash food waste by 90% by 2030.
Strategic initiatives and partnerships propel sustainability
Aldi's approach involves a multifaceted strategy to minimise waste across its operations.
Collaborating with food distribution companies such as Company Shop Group and partnering with Too Good To Go, the world's largest surplus food platform, exemplify Aldi's commitment to waste prevention and redistribution.
Since 2019, the supermarket has donated 40 million meals to charitable causes through its partnership with Neighbourly, with an additional one million meals contributed during the festive season.
Eco concept store
The success of Aldi's new 'eco concept' store stands out prominently in its sustainability report. Opened in 2023, the store embraces innovative initiatives such as refill fixtures to encourage sustainable shopping.
Energy-saving measures, including solar panels and chiller doors, have resulted in a 57% reduction in energy consumption while overall energy demand has decreased significantly through building structure redesign.
Liz Fox, national sustainability director at Aldi UK, emphasised the brand's commitment to environmental impact reduction, stating:
“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.”
