Aldi Environmental Strategy

Cost reduction means environmental benefit
Being a hard discount retailer, Aldi has always tried to keep cost at the lowest possible limit by continuously optimising its supply chain, store architecture, energy consumption, packaging etc., thus generating not only savings but also reducing the environmental impact. It has for instance always charged customers for plastic carrier bags. According to Aldi, “We find this encourages people to reuse the bags instead of throwing them away. At least 35% of our customers reuse our carrier bags or our reusable bag.”

In addition to this, Aldi says it has weekly feedback from the stores about its products with regards to packaging and how the retailer can improve the way it packages products and to reduce the overall packaging. According to Aldi, “This has helped a great deal to reduce wasteful packaging from our suppliers.”

New store developments are required to cut CO2 emissions by 10% above the statutory building regulations requirement. Electricity, which according to Aldi is the greatest energy user on store sites, accounting for 80% of the overall load, is cut down by using as much natural light as possible by ‘daylight dimming’. Packaging waste is recycled, being taken away by the same vehicle that initially supplied the stores.

Also, Aldi claimed it “only uses environmentally friendly, energy efficient freezers… We work with suppliers to move deliveries from road to rail wherever possible.”

Source: Planet Retail