Discount Retail Chain Aldi UK, German family owned, has cut food waste by 57% since 2017, meaning it has already hit a target it set for 2030.
The discounter had pledged to halve food waste by 2030, in line with the Courtauld 2030 commitment. It has now revised the target and is aiming to reduce food waste by 90% by 2030 against a 2017 baseline.
Aldi has cut waste by working with food distribution companies such as Company Shop Group to redistribute surplus. The supermarket also announced a partnership with the world’s largest surplus food platform Too Good To Go earlier this year.
Since 2019, Aldi has donated 40 million meals via its charity partner Neighbourly, including one million this festive season alone.
“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,” said Aldi UK national sustainability director Liz Fox.
“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.”
Aldi announced the progress update in its first sustainability report in Britain.
“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,” added Fox. “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.”
Aldi UK CEO Giles Hurley 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.”
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