Aldi is setting an eco-friendly precedent among UK supermarkets with a significant shift in its wine packaging. The retail giant is phasing out the protective sleeves on the corks of its own-label wines to cut down on plastic waste—a first for UK grocery stores.
The initiative is expected to be fully implemented by the end of 2025, building on the positive response to trials that began in March 2024. Aldi anticipates this move will trim down 38 tonnes of excess packaging annually, including plastics and metals.
Encompassing 46 wine varieties, including popular choices like Côtes du Rhone, Rioja Reserva, and Atlantique Rosé, Aldi aims to reinforce its commitment to sustainability. With already over 1,000 stores operating nationwide and aspirations to bolster that figure to 1,500, their long-term vision includes environmental stewardship.
Luke Emery, Aldi UK’s National Sustainability Director, commented: “We know that sustainability is a priority for our customers, and we’re always looking for new ways to reduce packaging and offer more sustainable choices. Launching wines with naked corks is a step in the right direction, and we’re proud to be the first supermarket to introduce this change across our entire range of own-brand quality corked wines.”
This development follows Aldi’s announcement allowing the purchase of National Lottery tickets at self-service tills across its UK branches—an update permitting such transactions for the first time. Since introducing lottery sales in 2021, they had been exclusively available at staffed checkouts, reports the Mirror.
Now, the convenience extends to their automated kiosks as well. Lucky Dip tickets for Lotto, EuroMillions, Thunderball and Set For Life games will all be available from the self-checkout touchscreens. Those with a National Lottery Fast Pay card can scan this to generate their bespoke tickets.
An age verification check will be carried out by an Aldi colleague before shoppers can complete their transaction. The rollout is expected to be complete by spring this year.
In other news, Aldi has discontinued its trial of in-store dispensers that allowed shoppers to fill containers with food to reduce single-use plastic. The scheme allowed shoppers to fill up their own containers with loose produce including coffee, cereal and nuts.
As well as helping to cut plastic waste, the supermarket said shoppers save 5% compared to buying the equivalent items already packaged.