Aldi pilots new loose produce items to cut waste

Discounter Aldi UK is trialling four new loose fruit and vegetable lines in a bid to reduce plastic waste. Starting 4 September, garlic, limes, lemons and oranges were introduced as loose items in certain Aldi stores across England.

Selected stores in the north east, Cumbria, Yorkshire, the south east, and London began offering loose garlic and limes, while shoppers in the east of England, the East Midlands and London are now able to purchase loose garlic, limes, oranges and lemons.

If rolled out across all stores, the move would see Aldi remove a further 94 tons of plastic packaging per year. Aldi’s plastics and packaging director, Luke Emery, said: “By trialling these packaging-free produce lines, we hope to help customers cut back on unnecessary plastic when shopping at Aldi.”

The discounter already offers loose produce options in a number of fruits and vegetables, including potatoes, peppers and avocados.