CR Programme 2019 - International

100% sustainably certified and/or recycled materials for all product packaging by end of 2020.

Transition of newly purchased product packaging to sustainably certified materials (FSC^®, PEFC™, EU Ecolabel or comparable standards) or consisting of more than 70% recycled materials at ALDI Nord, depending on availability by the end of 2020. The requirement refers to all own-brand products within the standard product ranges, seasonal products and food specials.

Project ongoing.
See Responsible product ranges.

100% recyclable, compostable or reusable packaging by end of 2025

100% of own-brand packaging at ALDI Nord to be recyclable, compostable or reusable by end of 2025

New goal.
See Responsible product ranges.

15% less packaging by end of 2025

Reduction of the total weight of own-brand packaging material at ALDI Nord (excluding fruit and vegetables) by 15% – proportional to sales – by end of 2025 (base year 2020)

New goal.
See Responsible product ranges.

Reusable nets for fruit and vegetables

Rollout of reusable nets for fruit and vegetables in all stores of the ALDI companies

Project ongoing.
Pilot project and rollout in Germany in 2019. See also Responsible product ranges.

No more disposable plastic carrier bags (except knot bags) by end of 2021

No more disposable plastic carrier bags (except knot bags) by end of 2021: To achieve this goal, the assortment of multiple-use carrier bags is to be expanded. These bags should be repairable and/or washable and should be recognisable as reusable, taking into account haptics and carrying comfort. Bags that do not meet these requirements are not covered by this goal. Paper bags are considered separately.

New goal.

Ban of single-use plastic products by end of 2020

End the sale of single-use plastic products such as plates, cutlery, cups, straws, stirrers and cotton buds in all ALDI companies by end of 2020. Indispensable articles should be replaced by more environmentally-friendly alternatives or reusable variants.

Project ongoing.
Cotton buds have been replaced with a sustainable alternative. See also Responsible product ranges.

100% unpackaged organic fruit and vegetable articles or in environmentally friendly packaging by end of 2023

100% of our organic products (organic fruit & vegetables) will be unpackaged or use environmentally friendly packaging in all ALDI companies by end of 2023. The use of plastic is to be reduced to a minimum - taking into account product quality and food losses.

New goal.

Expansion of unpackaged articles in the fruit and vegetable sector to at least 40% by end of 2025

At least 40% of fruit and vegetable products will be unpackaged in the stores of all ALDI companies by end of 2025. For products which require packaging, only sustainable and environmentally friendly packaging will be used.

New goal.

No plastic interlayers in crates by end of 2021

100% of all plastic interlayers in crates for fruit & vegetables in all ALDI companies will be removed by end of 2021.

New goal.

Optimise composition of 100% of products for children by end of 2021

Standardise the criteria for products for children at ALDI Nord according to national guidelines while striving to comply with the WHO recommendation. Products for children that do not comply will be delisted or relabelled by the end of 2021. Optimise all products for children, regardless of product group.

New goal.
In 2017, ALDI Belgium signed the Belgian Pledge, a commitment to ban advertisements for unhealthy products aimed at children younger than 12 years. ALDI Netherlands created new guidelines for product packaging aimed at children to ensure adherence with upcoming regulations. See Transparency & communication.

Ban marketing of unhealthy choices and promote healthier products for children by mid-2021

Avoid marketing unhealthy products for children and advertise and promote healthy products (including fruit and vegetables) in all ALDI companies by end of 2021 except special offers e.g. christmas

New goal.

Launch own brands for products for children by end of 2021

Launch and campaign a new ALDI children's brand by end of 2021

New goal.

Cooperate at least with one partner on national or international level on product range for children by end of 2021

Cooperation with suppliers, organisations and experts for improving current product ranges for children and for working on innovations for all ALDI companies by end of 2021

New goal.

Improved nutrient composition in 100% of the defined product groups by end of 2022

Upgrade products through optimised nutritional composition (e.g. reduce salt, sugar or fat, or increase fibres) and offer reliable product ranges for customers with special dietary needs in the product groups Breakfast, Dairy, Chilled Convenience, Freezer and Non-Alcoholic Beverages in all ALDI companies by end of 2022

New goal.
See Responsible product ranges.

Extend nutritional labelling

Introduction of nutritional label (e.g. Nutri-Score, The Keyhole) in all ALDI countries for own-brand products

Project ongoing.
ALDI France will label the first products in 2020. ALDI Belgium will also start using the Nutri-Score in 2020. ALDI Netherlands will begin with the introduction after mid-2021. See Transparency & communication.

Improve labelling and communicate sustainable added values  

Improve labelling and communicate sustainable added values, such as animal welfare, vegan, improved nutritional labelling, and social projects in all ALDI companies

Project ongoing.

Expanding the organic assortment

Identify the gaps in the organic assortment in each ALDI country and each product group, and listing of missing products in the assortment

New goal.
1,178 products in 2019; +15% compared to the previous year. See Responsible product ranges.

Expanding vegetarian and vegan assortment

Expansion of the ranges of vegetarian and vegan products, including certification (e.g. V-Label) in all ALDI companies

New goal.
494 products in 2019; +82% compared to the previous year. See Responsible product ranges.

Introduction of own brand for vegetarian and vegan products for all new products/purchases by 2021

Introduction of an own brand for vegetarian and vegan products for all newly purchased/newly listed products in all ALDI countries by 2021

New goal.

Labelling 100% of vegetarian and vegan products for all new products/purchases starting in 2021

100% labelling of all vegetarian and vegan products (V-label/vegan flower) for all newly purchased/newly listed products in all ALDI companies, with a focus on non-food articles, starting in 2021

New goal.

Extension of meat products with ATC

Increase in the number of meat products and products containing meat with the ALDI Transparency Code (ATC) in all ALDI companies

Goal achieved.
The ATC was placed on 100% of the fresh meat at ALDI Belgium, ALDI Nord Germany, ALDI Netherlands and ALDI Luxembourg within the standard product ranges. It is also used on meat products of ALDI France, ALDI Poland, ALDI Portugal and ALDI Spain.

Guideline for dealing with food loss by end of 2020

Introduction of a guideline for dealing with food that is no longer saleable in the ALDI stores by end of 2020 (formerly 2017)

Goal not achieved.
It was planned to publish an international food loss reduction guideline at the end of 2017. Due to various underlying requirements of the respective ALDI countries the project has been postponed until further notice. However, the issue remains important for us. This is why the goal has been replaced by the following goals.

Integrating 100% of all stores in a partnership to reduce food waste by end of 2021

Integrate 100% of all ALDI stores in cooperations with NGOs to reduce food waste by 2021 (e.g. Tafel, Too Good To Go, Refood)

The goal is reached if every store works regularly* with one or more defined potential partners.

*Regularly means donating as often as possible from both sides.

New goal.
81% stores donated unsaleable food in 2019; +4 percentage points compared to the previous year.

Offer products from food waste by end of 2021

Develop products made from food leftovers and introduction of at least one product in defined product groups by end of 2021 at ALDI Nord.

New goal.

100% labelling of all national products for all new products/purchases by end of 2021 

100% labelling of all national products e.g. with national flag by end of 2021 for all newly purchased/newly listed products in all ALDI companies. Scope: Fruit & Vegetable, Dairy, Fresh Meat & Fish.

New goal.

Develop regional product ranges in each ALDI country by end of 2021 

Development of regional product ranges in each ALDI country by end of 2021. Scope: Fruit & Vegetable, Dairy, Fresh Meat & Fish.

New goal.
In Germany the new own brand EINFACH REGIONAL (Simply Regional) was introduced in 2019. See Transparency & communication.

100% vegetarian and vegan soy-based products with sustainable soy by end of 2021

Conversion of 100% of vegetarian and vegan own-brand soy-based products to soy of European origin or certified soy, and support of soy alternatives, e.g. pea-based products, by end of 2021 at ALDI Nord

New goal.

100% RSPO-certified palm oil by end of 2019

Transition to physically RSPO-certified palm oil for all own-brand products containing palm oil (Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil – RSPO) by end of 2019 (formerly 2018) at ALDI Nord

Goal not achieved.
98.6% in 2019.

Extension of certified sustainable coffee by end of 2020

Transition to certified sustainable coffee (UTZ/Rainforest Alliance, Fairtrade, organic) for defined own-brand products by end of 2020 at ALDI Nord

Project ongoing.
53% in 2019; +2 percentage points compared to the previous year.

40% certified sustainable resources of herbal tea and fruit infusions by end of 2020

Increase the share of certified sustainable resources (UEBT/UTZ, EU organic logo, Fairtrade or UTZ/Rainforest Alliance CertifiedTM label) of herbal tea and fruit infusions in own-brand products to 40 per cent by end of 2020 at ALDI Nord

Project ongoing.
37% in 2019.

100% sustainably certified wood by end of 2020

Transition of all wood and wood-based products to sustainably certified materials (FSC®, PEFC™, EU Ecolabel or comparable standards) by end of 2020 at ALDI Nord

Project ongoing.
88% in 2019; + 11 percentage points compared to the previous year.

100% sustainable cotton by end of 2025

Use of sustainable cotton (e.g. GOTS, OCS 100/blended, Fairtrade, recycled cotton, BCI, CmiA) for all clothing and home textiles in all ALDI companies by end of 2025

Project ongoing.
Publication of International Cotton Purchasing Policy in 2020; 36% in 2019; +3 percentage points compared to the previous year.

100% certified flowers and plants

Continuously increase share of certified sustainable plants and flowers (e.g. GLOBALG.A.P. in combination with GRASP or alternative standards) in all ALDI companies (target date removed)

Project ongoing.
See Social responsibility in the supply chain.

Social evaluation of all producers of fruit and vegetables

Continuously increase the share of certified sustainable fruit and vegetables (e.g. GLOBALG.A.P. in combination with GRASP or alternative standards) in all ALDI companies (target date removed)

Project ongoing.
See Social responsibility in the supply chain.

Extension of animal welfare criteria

Ongoing expansion of test and certification systems and own standards in all ALDI companies that go beyond the statutory requirements and include animal welfare aspects

Project ongoing.
Intensive efforts were made to further raise the level of animal welfare on a broad scale in 2019.

Ban on all defined chemical substances in 2020

Ban on specific groups of chemical substances in the manufacture of own-brand products, in the product groups clothing, home textiles and footwear, by end of 2020 (ALDI Detox Commitment) and ongoing in all ALDI countries

Project ongoing.
It became apparent that the industry will not meet its obligations under the Detox Commitment in 2020. Following the adopted roadmap several Detox progress reports and the final report were published. However, the challenges are significant, so the work with partners in the supply chain will be continued to improve chemicals management in the coming years and to pursue the defined goals.

After the end of the ALDI Detox Commitment, a continuous improvement process will be pursued to make further progress towards gradually eliminating hazardous chemicals within the supply chains. For this purpose, the processes to adjust these efforts towards more effective and risk-based measures will be evaluated to better allign the activities within the industry.

Participation in sector initiatives

Expansion of dialogue with major stakeholder groups, especially through participation in sector initiatives in all ALDI countries

Project ongoing.
See Stakeholder & networks and Social responsibility in the supply chain.

40% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by end of 2021

40% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions in all ALDI companies by end of 2021, compared to the reference year 2015

Project ongoing.
15.5% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions in 2019, compared to the reference year 2015.
The focus was on increasing efficiency. In the next step, further efficiency measures will be planned and implemented with an increased focus on green power/greening.

Installation of photovoltaic systems in stores

Increasing the ratio of ALDI stores equipped with photovoltaic systems through continuous expansion

Project ongoing.
581 of the stores equipped with photovoltaic systems; + 39% compared to the previous year.

LED lighting in all new stores by end of 2019

Introduction of LED lighting in all new ALDI stores (interior and outdoor lighting) by end of 2019

Goal partially achieved.
LED lighting technology has been installed at new stores in all countries since 2016. We are continuing the conversion progress for outdoor lighting.

LED lighting in existing stores

Review of conversion of existing ALDI stores in the portfolio to LED lighting 

Project ongoing.
The conversion progress will be continued: ALDI Belgium and ALDI Portugal are close to completing this goal. ALDI Denmark has already converted the lightning in all stores to LED.

LED lighting in distribution centres

Review of conversion of ALDI distribution centres to LED lighting

Project ongoing.
The changeover is already complete in Belgium, Denmark and Spain. The switch to LEDs is planned in distribution centres in Germany, Poland and the Netherlands.

Management training programme by end of 2020

Development of a training programme concept for enhancing managers' skills in all ALDI countries by end of 2020

Goal achieved.
The ALDI Academy was founded in 2019 to build a number of training programmes in Germany, and will be adopted by the other countries.

Increase in employee communication by end of 2020

Establishment of further channels for engaging and involving ALDI employees in all ALDI companies, alongside other methods, by end of 2020

Goal achieved.
Focus on workshops and events, alongside ALDI employee magazines, CR Newsletter, posters and brochures.