Aldi set to become the first supermarket to can plastic packaging on tinned tuna

Aldi is set to become the first UK supermarket to scrap plastic packaging on multipacks of tinned tuna.

Starting from mid-September, the supermarket will sell four-packs of Tuna Chunks in Brine with a cardboard sleeve, instead of plastic.

The trial will last for around four months in over 270 stores and if successful, the new recyclable sleeve is expected to be rolled out nationally to more than 830 UK stores, which will save over 11 tonnes of plastic each year.

This is one of several packaging initiatives Aldi is trialling over the next few months, as it looks to phase out all hard-to-recycle plastic – such as undetectable black plastics, PVC and expanded polystyrene – from its food products by the end of 2020.

Fritz Walleczek, Managing Director of Corporate Responsibility at Aldi UK and Ireland, said: “We’re constantly reviewing our product range to remove and replace single-use and hard-to-recycle plastic packaging.”

“We’ve introduced a number of initiatives to reduce unnecessary plastic already this year, and we’re particularly excited to be trialling the cardboard tuna sleeve, given it’s a first for the UK supermarket sector."

Aldi is on track to make all own label packaging recyclable, reusable or compostable by 2022, and aims to reduce plastic packaging by 25% by the end of 2023.