Aldi, the fourth largest supermarket in the UK, is making a move to reduce food waste by selling pineapples without crowns in some North East, Midlands, and Yorkshire stores.
The initiative aims to prevent the discarding of pineapple crowns, which are often thrown away by shoppers, as they will be used for cultivating next year's crop or converted into animal feed.
This change could potentially save approximately 1,400 tonnes of food waste annually and around 187 tonnes of cardboard if rolled out across all stores.
"At Aldi, we are committed to finding sustainable solutions that benefit both our customers and the environment."
Liz Fox
Aldi's national sustainability director, Liz Fox, stated, "We are committed to sustainable solutions that benefit both our customers and the environment."
The supermarket is also trying other eco-friendly strategies such as removing plastic packaging from bananas in select North East stores and replacing it with paper bands.
This change would result in the elimination of around 234 tonnes of plastic per year.
Aldi has also introduced thinner bags for onions to save plastic usage, and replaced non-recyclable packaging from its block butter with a recyclable paper alternative.
The move towards sustainability is not only beneficial for the environment but also for the community, as the removed pineapple crowns could be used to cultivate new crops.
The novelty of Aldi selling pineapples sans crowns has left certain customers bewildered, as they have long been accustomed to buying the tropical fruit complete with its green top.
8: Solar glass snowdrop stake lights, an innovative new addition to Aldi's middle aisle at the affordable price of £8.99, have ignited interest among customers in search of budget-friendly and eco-friendly garden decorations.
The supermarket chain is persistently seeking new methods to offer top-notch products at unrivaled prices, all the while lessening its environmental footprint.