Discount Retail Chain Aldi Süd Italia (privately owned) has rolled out an innovative food packaging made of 'Social Plastic' in cooperation with Carton Pack and the Plastic Bank. The initiative aims to help the discounter to focus on sustainable packaging for its own private label branded products, which in turn protects the environment and promotes a circular economy. Blueberries and raspberries are the first products featuring the new packaging, Aldi added.
Social Plastic is produced by Carton Pack, an Italian production and logistics company for fruit and vegetable packaging. Social Plastic is made from waste plastics that would otherwise end up in the oceans. An estimated 8 million tonnes of plastic waste enter the oceans every year, the discount retailer added.
Recycling
Plastic Bank is a social enterprise committed to collecting and recycling discarded plastic. In March 2019, Aldi announced a partnership with Plastic Bank to help the social start-up develop collection points for plastic waste in countries with poor waste management infrastructure. With plastic waste collection centres in Haiti, Indonesia, Philippines, Brazil and Egypt, the Plastic Bank works with coastal communities to recover materials that are transformed into Social Plastic.
Supply Chain With Social Value
The aim is to create a supply chain that also generates social value for the local population involved in collecting plastic. In exchange for material recovery activities, they receive a premium, which allows them to improve their living conditions. Some examples of premiums include the supply of food, health insurance, gas for cooking, and school fees for children. The latest initiative is part of Aldi, Missione Im-Ballo, the discount retailer’s multi-year strategy for the optimisation of packaging waste management until 2025.
