Aldi UK has secured proof of flexible plastic recycling through an independent tracking scheme.
The budget-supermarket giant received a certificate from eco2Veritas confirming that 62 tonnes of polyethylene and 25 tonnes of polypropylene collected at stores last year had been reprocessed into end products.
The AI-powered verification process, developed by Greenback Recycling Technologies, is as part of the Flexible Plastic Fund (FPF) tracking scheme.
Aldi receives funding from the FPF for certified recycling, which supports the collection of the challenging material stream.
The supermarket currently collects about 300 tonnes of post-consumer flexible plastic packaging per year in front-of-store bins.
This material is taken to plastics recycler Jayplas, sorted, pelletised and ultimately recycled into rubbish sacks, crates and trays.
Aldi UK plastic and packaging director Luke Emery said: “We are committed to tackling plastic waste. We know this is an issue that matters to our customers too, which is why we’re working with the FPF to further improve the recycling of flexible plastics collected in our stores.”
FPF project lead at Ecosurety Gareth Morton said: “I’d like to congratulate everyone involved at Aldi, Greenback and Jayplas for their dedication and hard work in making this exciting initiative happen.
“It’s been a while in the making – from exploring options and building trust with the industry, to developing the eco2Veritas certification platform which tracks everything and gives everyone confidence in the process and outcomes.”
The FPF was established in 2021 by Ecosurety with support from environmental charity Hubbub, and had five founding partners: Mars, Mondelēz International, Nestlé, PepsiCo and Unilever.
