Sustainable Packaging

As a major retailer, we take responsibility for the environmental impact of our packaging.

Why we care about sustainable packaging

We have been improving the use of plastic and packaging across our exclusive brand product range since 2019. The quality and integrity of our products cannot be compromised, but our desire to improve packaging sees us exploring sustainable alternatives that support a circular economy for Australia.

We’re changing our packaging for the better

ALDI has made packaging improvements across our products, including:

Being the first large supermarket in Australia to remove plastic bowls, plates, cutlery and cups from our shelves in 2020. Our everyday ALDI exclusive plates and bowls are made entirely of compostable sugar cane, and our cutlery is made from birchwood.
Packaging our everyday range of standard batteries in paper instead of plastic, removing approximately 7 tonnes of plastic waste each year*.
Switching our cotton buds from a plastic to a paper stem, removing 280 million plastic stems from landfill each year*.
Collaborating with our business partners to phase-out all polystyrene foam noodle cup packaging, which has been replaced with paper-based alternatives.
Transitioning our exclusive Choceur chocolate range to fully recyclable packaging. The cardboard outer packaging was always recyclable but now the inner foil is too! Just scrunch it into a 20mm ball and place it in your yellow recycling bin.
Switching all of our drink cartons from plastic to paper straws! We were the first large Australian supermarket to start this transition in 2021 and our stores are now plastic straw free!

* Figures are based on 2024 sales data and should be considered estimates of future outcomes.

ALDI’s approach to sustainable packaging

From our packaging to our products, ALDI is working to minimise our impact on the environment. We are making small changes that have a big impact. We are a member of the Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation (APCO), a co-regulatory not-for-profit organisation leading the development of a circular economy for packaging in Australia.

ALDI says no to landfill

As part of our ongoing sustainability journey, ALDI is changing our packaging for the better. By reformulating our packaging to be recyclable or compostable, we are proud to say that as of 2025, 91.9% of our exclusive brand packaging meets this criteria.

Goodbye single-use plastics

ALDI is phasing out problematic and unnecessary single-use plastics. In December 2021, we became the first Australian supermarket to begin replacing plastic straws on juice boxes with paper ones. This exciting innovation now means the paper straw can be pushed inside the juice box before being placed in the recycling bin. As of 2025, we have now successfully removed all plastic straws from our stores nationwide.

Green is the new black

We are redesigning difficult to recycle black plastic packaging, which is often seen on meat packs and ready-made meals. 100% of black plastic trays across our fresh produce and fresh meat products have been removed.

Stimulating a circular economy for materials

Driving uptake of recycled materials

Being an exclusive brand retailer means we can directly influence the design of our products. We work closely with our producers and manufacturers to incorporate recycled materials into our packaging. As of 2025, we have achieved an average of 32.5% recycled content* in total packaging.

Clear solutions

The Australasian Recycling Label (ARL) is displayed on 100% of ALDI everyday grocery range products** to provide our customers with clear instructions on how to correctly dispose of packaging.

Learn More About ARL

Backing paper

All paper and pulp-based packaging in our everyday range is certified, or made of minimum 70% recycled materials, since 2020. That means everything from egg cartons to big cardboard boxes are responsibly sourced.

Keeping you updated

ALDI is committed to being transparent about our progress on sustainable packaging. Read our annual Making Sustainability Affordable and APCO Report for more information.

Sustainability Report

ALDI releases the 2026 Making Sustainability Affordable report, documenting progress towards its ambitious sustainability goals. To find out more, read the report.

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ALDI's latest APCO Report

For more information on our sustainable packaging progress, read our latest APCO report.

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ALDI phases out reusable plastic bags from all stores

ALDI has phased out reusable plastic bags from all stores and introduced a paper bag alternative, which is certified and 100% kerbside recyclable.

This move offers customers a plastic-free option during their shop and will see more than 888 tonnes of reusable plastic bags removed from circulation each year.

We know Aussies continue to make more conscious choices. ALDI has never provided free-of-charge plastic carrier bags, understanding that bringing your own bags every time you shop is the most sustainable option. When you can’t bring your own bags, we have paper bags available.

*In 2025, reporting methodology for this KPI was amended so that packaging specifications received from 2025 onwards only count post-consumer content. Therefore, prior results for this KPI may not be directly comparable.

**Compliance status was confirmed via an in-store audit on 16 January 2026 and desktop reviews of active core range and seasonal products as at the end of 2025.