Supermarket chain Aldi Ireland has discontinued the use of black non-detectable plastic trays for packaging fruit and vegetables.
The company has made this decision as part of its efforts to reduce plastic packaging by 25% in the next three years.
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According to the retailer, the decision will allow it to reduce more than 450t of non-recyclable waste every year.
Aldi Group buying director John Curtin said: “Reducing the amount of plastic we produce is fundamental to our commitment to being a sustainable, responsible business. This is another step towards achieving our ambitious goals on packaging.”
Aldi Ireland will also eliminate all non-detectable black plastic trays, expanded polystyrene trays and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) from its own-brand product packaging by the end of next year.
Welcoming Aldi’s commitment, Irish non-profit packaging recycling firm Repak CEO Seamus Clancy said: “While black plastic trays are accepted in the household recycling bin, they are difficult for waste operator machinery to detect, so need to be sorted by hand.
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By GlobalData“We welcome this move from Aldi and its other efforts to reduce waste and improve Ireland’s recycling rates.”
In April, Aldi announced its commitment to making 100% of its product packaging reusable, recyclable or compostable by 2025.
