aldi recyclable plastic on cooked meat ham

The 27 products in Aldi’s Ashfield Farm range will get recyclable packaging

Aldi is replacing the plastic packaging for its cooked meat products with recyclable alternatives.

The discounter is looking to cut an estimated 1,059 tonnes of plastic and divest around 37 million individual packs from waste each year by introducing recyclable packaging across its Ashfield Farm range. This is made up of 27 sliced cooked meat products, including Breaded Ham, Wafer Thin Ham and Roast Beef Slices lines.

The move comes as part of Aldi’s commitment to make all its own-label packaging recyclable, reusable or compostable by 2022. This has already seen it replace black plastic trays with clear, recyclable versions on six of its fruit and vegetable lines, and its 5p carrier bags are due to be scrapped from stores by the end of this year, with customers offered bags for life or 9p reusable bags instead.

“Our customers consistently tell us that they want to see a reduction in plastic waste, and we are committed to helping them achieve that,” said Fritz Walleczek, Aldi’s managing director of corporate responsibility. “We have been reviewing all our products to help us achieve that, and this is just the latest in a string of initiatives that will help us reach that target.”