Aldi Sets Sustainability Goals Due to Consumer Demand

Following closely in the footsteps of Trader Joe’s announcement that they were cracking down on plastics to help meet their sustainability goals, competing chain Aldi has made its own public announcement on the matter, reports Bloomberg.

In the battle of low-cost grocers, the story of competition between Trader Joe’s and Aldi is one of sibling rivalry: each is owned by one of a pair of brothers. And, in the grand tradition of keeping up with your siblings, it seems Aldi has followed in Trader Joe’s footsteps when it comes to sustainability for low-cost grocery stores. The chain announced plans to make all of its private-label packaging reusable, recyclable, or compostable by 2025, and to cut packing materials for the products by 15 percent in that time.

The idea, says the chain, is to bring in more green-minded shoppers and reduce supply chain expenses. Translation: unlike Trader Joe’s, Aldi is paying no lip service to being eco-friendly themselves, but rather just admitting that customers care enough that the changes will make a difference in their bottom line.

“We know our customers care,” said Aldi U.S. Chief Executive Officer Jason Hart in the Bloomberg piece. “More and more, I get questions about: Is there anything we can do to reduce the amount of packaging for our products?” While we love to hear that a company actually cares about the environmental damage they cause with their packaging, it is a good movement that the general public has made their voices heard enough to force companies into taking more care with their plastic packaging. Aldi’s next challenge, reports the piece, is how to reduce waste on home deliveries.

If this doesn’t change your world because there’s not an Aldi near you, take heart: the beloved German chain is continuing its U.S. expansion, with 130 locations set to open in 2019.