Supermarket removes elements of packaging from a range of fruit and veg lines

Aldi is trialling the removal of pulp trays and punnets from the packaging of several fruit and vegetable lines.

Sliced mushrooms are part of the trial

Sliced mushrooms are part of the trial

The trial includes the removal of plastic punnets from the discounter’s Nature’s Pick cherry tomatoes in select stores, with the change already in place on its Nature’s Pick sliced mushrooms and soon to follow on its baby plum tomatoes.

Additionally, Aldi is removing pulp trays from its Nature’s Pick mango twin pack and avocado twin pack.

The supermarket said that in total the changes could see it remove over 370 tonnes of plastic and packaging per year if rolled out across all stores.

Luke Emery, plastics and packaging director at Aldi, said: “At Aldi, we are constantly reviewing ways to reduce excess plastic and packaging, and these trials on a range of our fruit and vegetables are the next steps in helping us achieve our goals.

“Becoming a more sustainable supermarket is important to not only us, but our customers too, and further reducing packaging is just one of many changes to come.”

The moves comes on the back of Aldi last month trialling the removal of plastic packaging on its bananas across selected stores in Yorkshire, the South West, the South East and the Midlands. It said that would help to eliminate a further estimated 234 tonnes of plastic packaging a year if rolled out nationally.