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ALDI TO TRIAL VACUUM AND FLOW-WRAP PACKED BEEF MINCE TO HELP REDUCE PLASTIC

• Aldi has announced it is to trial selling vacuum and flow-wrap packed beef mince to cut the amount of plastic packaging used by up to 73%
• The changes are expected to increase the shelf life of beef mince – keeping products fresher for longer – without affecting taste or quality
• The trials are taking place to see which packaging customers prefer alongside looking at how the supermarket can further reduce plastic waste

Aldi is to trial vacuum and flow-wrap packed packaging across its beef mince products – cutting the amount of plastic used by up to 73%.

The aim of the trial is to understand which packaging customers prefer alongside helping the supermarket to further reduce plastic waste.

The new packaging removes the need for a paper lining and no carbon dioxide is used in production, delivering further environmental benefits without affecting the quality or taste of the product.

In fact, the new packaging is expected to increase the shelf life of beef mince by keeping it fresher for longer.

The vacuum packaging trial has gone live across select stores in Northamptonshire, Leicestershire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire, the West Midlands and Worcestershire.

The flow-wrap trial will be rolled out in the same areas in November.

Luke Emery, Plastics and Packaging Director at Aldi, said: “At Aldi we are constantly reviewing ways to become more environmentally friendly and reduce plastic where possible.

“These trials promise a range of environmental benefits without affecting quality and could lead to significant reductions in plastic, food miles and food waste if rolled out across all stores.”

The move comes following Aldi’s switch to colourless milk caps across all of its 990 UK stores in a bid to further improve the recyclability of the bottles.

The roll out will mean a further 200 tonnes of High-Density Polythene (rHDPE) in the bottle tops can be reused to create new milk bottles. 

ENDS