ALDI Australia is bolstering its commitment to environmental sustainability with its latest announcement of an ambitious zero to waste landfill target by 2025.
The supermarket said in a statement that it will first focus on food, aiming to achieve zero food waste sent to landfill by 2023.
ALDI will expand segregated waste collection at stores, double food donations and identify closed loop recycling opportunities within the organisation and its supply chain.
“Every present and future action taken to achieve our zero-waste commitment has been carefully considered to ensure the solution is both viable and impactful,” said Daniel Baker, Corporate Responsibility Director at ALDI Australia.
“Our commitment will see the business reduce the amount of waste created and reuse or recycle materials to cease unnecessary waste from being sent to landfill. It is our intention that collectively these actions will make a difference,” Baker said.
The food rescue program also aims to reuse food for animals, once the food is deemed not suitable for human consumption. In 2020, ALDI donated over 10 million meals and more than 66,000 kilograms of non-food items to charity partners.
The zero waste commitment is in line with the Australian Government’s National Waste Policy Action Plan, which aims to reduce the total waste generated in Australia by 10 per cent per person and to halve the amount of organic waste sent to landfill by 2030.
Currently, Australia wastes more than 7.3 million tonnes of food every year, costing the economy over $20 billion annually.
“ALDI Australia’s commitment to reducing waste and improving sustainable practices will hopefully have an immense flow-on effect across its supply chain, and through to consumers,” said Minister for the Environment, Sussan Ley.
“Significant commitments like ALDI’s ‘zero waste to landfill’ show that Australia’s national waste targets are attainable if business and shoppers get behind them,” Ley said.
She continued that innovative solutions and practical measures can really help us work to a future with less waste.
ALDI be working with its business partners to investigate closed-loop opportunities. This includes sending broken pallets to be chipped into garden mulch and then sold to customers through its Special Buys general merchandise program.
This year, the discount retailer will also be rolling out new uniforms for their store employees, with the old garments sent to a textile site to be recycled into apparel and furnishings.
It is also trialing in-store recycling services to help customers reduce their waste footprint for items including coffee capsules and soft plastics, and even batteries.
Although there has been zero waste to landfill annoucement yet, supermarket giant Coles has also been making bold steps towards more sustainable local operations with its recent launch of its sustainable supermarket in Moonee Ponds, Victoria, and a refreshed strategy for its ‘Together to Zero’ plan.