Aldi North East shoppers to trial new compostable carrier bag

Aldi’s North East stores will be introducing compostable bags for a new trial hoped to help save up to 1,300 tonnes of plastic each year in the UK.
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

From July, Aldi’s 47 stores in the North East, including stores in Sunderland, Seaham and Peterlee, will offer a choice of a compostable carrier bag at the checkout for 6p.

The new bags are made of a Bioplast, a biodegradable material, designed to be compostable within 12 months.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Aldi expects that the bag could help save up to 1,300 tonnes per year, which is the equivalent of 33.3million carrier bags.

The new bag will be an option for shoppers at Aldi’s 47 stores in the North EastThe new bag will be an option for shoppers at Aldi’s 47 stores in the North East
The new bag will be an option for shoppers at Aldi’s 47 stores in the North East

Later in the summer, the supermarket is set to launch a new reusable bag made entirely from Aldi back of store waste and a reusable cotton alternative.

At the end of the trial, the most popular option will be selected for the other UK stores and offered alongside Aldi’s other reusable bags.

Fritz Walleczek, managing director of corporate responsibly at Aldi, said: “Reducing the amount of plastic we produce is fundamental to our commitment to being a sustainable and environmentally responsible business.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“This trial will enable us to work with shoppers in the North East to identify what works for them so that we can find the best long-term solution.”

Aldi has pledged to remove difficult-to-recycle packaging, including expanded polystyrene, PVC and non-detectable black plastic from its core food range by the end of 2020. It also aims to reduce plastic packaging by 25% by the end of 2023.

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.