Aldi U.S. Commits to Eliminate Plastic Bags Chainwide by 2023

As shoppers continue to push their local grocery stores toward sustainable solutions, Jason Hart, CEO of Aldi U.S., issued an open letter on Aldi’s website announcing a new commitment to eliminate plastic shopping bags from all stores by the end of 2023.

In the letter, Hart opens by saying that Aldi has already removed plastic bags from nearly 500 stores and that the grocery retailer’s goal “is to phase them out from all 2,200 locations by the end of 2023. We are thrilled to make this monumental pledge in support of our planet, which will remove 4,400 tons of plastic from circulation each year.”

Hart went on to say that Aldi’s plastic bag announcement is part a wider company initiative to be a responsible grocer. Hart's letter included highlights from Aldi's first Corporate Responsibility Progress Report—one year after the no-frills German discount grocery chain announced its updated sustainability goals. The report outlines the progress Aldi has made when it comes to decreasing greenhouse gas emissions, diverting operational waste, and reducing food waste and packaging, as well as the grocer's efforts to continue to responsibly source its products and give back to local communities.  

Aldi reported that in the last year, it has “significantly reduced our use of plastic and increased the recyclability of our packaging so that more than 62% of Aldi-exclusive packaging is now reusable, recyclable or compostable," it said.

As part of its focus on cutting carbon, Aldi reported that it “earned more EPA GreenChill store certifications than all grocery retailers in the nation combined for the second year in a row.”

Aldi also reported that it has donated more than “33 million pounds of food through its partnership with Feeding America, and 72 thousand pounds of household products through its partnership with Good360.” The report also mentioned that Aldi diverted “74% of operational waste companywide that would otherwise go to landfills through increased donations, recycling programs and composting pilots.”

Looking to further reduce its impact on the environment, the report said rooftop solar panels were installed on more Aldi buildings, bringing the grocer's total to "over 120 stores and 12 distribution centers producing and consuming green electricity from solar power.”

Batavia, Ill.-based Aldi first opened in the U.S. in 1976, and now has more than 2,000 stores in 36 states. The chain said its newest location, which opened April 7 in Pensacola, Fla., is part of the company’s nationwide growth plan, which includes the opening of approximately 150 new stores this year—close to 20 of which will be in Alabama, Mississippi, the Florida Panhandle and Louisiana.