Aldi Announces It Will Introduce Brown Paper Bags This Summer

Aldi has announced it will be introducing brown paper bags to stores this summer.

The budget supermarket chain says that from next month, half its UK stores will offer paper bags to customers, while the rest will provide compostable carrier bags.

Once the trial has finished, the option that proves most popular with shoppers will be rolled out across the country.

The chain will also continue to offer its other reusable bags.

According to the firm, whichever is chosen at the end of the trial period could save up to 1,300 tonnes of plastic per year - equivalent to more than 33 million carrier bags.

The compostable bags - which will retail for 6p each - are made of a biodegradable material and are designed to be completely compostable within 12 months.

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The paper bags will be sold for 19p.

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. This trial will identify the option which best suits our shoppers.

"Cutting waste is part of Aldi's DNA and we are constantly looking for new ways to reduce our environmental impact. This new trial is one of the biggest we have ever launched because we want our customers to be involved and help us make the right decision for them and the environment."

This announcement comes after supermarket rival Sainsbury's pledged to become the first supermarket in the UK to scrap plastic bags for loose items such as fruit, vegetables and baked goods.

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By September, paper bags will be available in the bakery, while customers buying fruit and veg can either use their own bags or purchase reusable bags made from recycled materials.

The move represents a 489-tonne reduction in plastic bag use for the supermarket, and the company has also announced a number of further measures, which will see a total 1,284 tonnes of plastic cut this year.

The supermarket has already introduced measures that have led to an 8,101-tonne annual reduction in non-recyclable plastic use. The addition of the above commitments will see the total surpass 10,000 tonnes.

The company has previously pledged to ensure all of its plastic packaging is reusable, recyclable or compostable by 2025.

Topics: Environment, Aldi, UK News, climate change, Interesting

Dominic Smithers

Dominic graduated from the University of Leeds with a degree in French and History. Like you, Dom has often questioned how much use a second language has been. Well, after stints working at the Manchester Evening News, the Accrington Observer and the Macclesfield Express, along with never setting foot in France, he realised the answer is surprisingly little. But I guess, c'est la vie. Contact us at [email protected]

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