Aldi is to trial selling vacuum and flow-wrap packed beef mince, which could cut the amount of plastic packaging used for those products by as much as 73%.
The new packaging eliminates the need for paper lining and uses no carbon dioxide in the production process. It is also expected to increase the shelf life of beef mince by keeping it fresher for longer.
Other supermarkets – including Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Co-op and Lidl – have also been trialling different methods of using less packaging across their mince products, with some customers claiming the new packaging ‘destroys’ the beef when opened.
“At Aldi we are constantly reviewing ways to become more environmentally friendly and reduce plastic where possible,” said Aldi plastics and packaging director Luke Emery.
“These trials promise a range of environmental benefits without affecting quality and could lead to significant reductions in plastic, food miles and food waste if rolled out across all stores”.
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Aldi’s move follows its recent switch to colourless bottle tops allowing the use of high-density polythene, which can be used to create new milk bottles.
Further sustainability moves by the supermarkets include removing use by dates from milk and joining the UK’s refill coalition (which sees supermarkets carry out initiatives to allow customers to bring in packaging which they can then fill up in store).
Five years ago, only a third of plastic packaging used by UK supermarkets is recycled, with growing public backlash having led many UK supermarkets to join the UK Plastics Pact.
Aldi’s vacuum-packaging trial has gone live across stores in Northamptonshire, Lecestershire, Shropshire, Warwickshire, the West Midlands and Worcestershire, while the flow-wrap trial will be rolled out in November across the same locations.
