Aldi set to scrap plastic bags in favour of paper and compostable versions

Aldi will be trialling new compostable and paper bags in all their stores from July.

The budget supermarket chain is set to trial biodegradable and paper carriers in a bid to cut down on plastic pollution.

The German retailer will be offering paper bags in half its stores, and compostable bags in the other half as part of a two-month trial.

At the end, the most popular choice of bag by consumers will become Aldi’s permanent shopping bag.

The biodegradable bags will be sold for 6p each, and the paper bags will be sold for 19p each.

Though, Aldi will continue to sell the 9p reusable plastic bags for now – so the store isn’t scrapping the plastic just yet.

With plastic is still posing a serious threat to our oceans and environment, Aldi has estimated that the scrap of plastic bags in their stores could held reduce plastic pollution by 1,300 tonnes each year.

Though we don’t know exactly what the new bags will look like, Aldi promises the paper bags can hold up to 11kg of food.

And, the biodegradable bags are made from a material that composes within 12 months.

You’ll be glad to know the biodegradable versions can also be recycled as food waste bins and used for garden compost.

It seems supermarkets are really going the extra mile to reduce their plastic usage.

Just last month Morrison’s introduced paper bags in a big to cut down on plastic pollution.

And, Waitrose announced a new trial designed to reduce packaging waste by asking customers to bring their own refillable containers to fill with food from special dispensers including pasta, rice, cereals and lentils.

Speaking on behalf of Aldi, Fritz Walleczek said: ‘Reducing the amount of plastic we produce is fundamental to our commitment to being a sustainable and environmentally responsible business.’

He added: ‘Cutting waste is part of Aldi’s DNA and we are constantly looking for new ways to reduce our environmental impact.’