ALDI may be shaking up the rules when it comes to purchasing one of the most important parts of your Christmas dinner.
The supermarket’s idea could reduce how much food you waste and save you spending more than you need to this year.
Christmas vegetables are a central ingredient in a festive roast – but they can often go to waste[/caption]
It comes as Aldi is currently trialling a range of new loose fruit and vegetable products to help reduce packaging.
The move is being experimented across select stores in the North of England, with 12 produce items being sold loose for the first time including festive favourites like parsnips and carrots.
And while the scheme is being made to reduce its environmental impact, the retailer also noted how it could help shoppers save money.
Luke Emery, National Sustainability Director for Aldi said: “By helping shoppers to buy only what they need, we’re not just reducing packaging, but helping to cut food waste too.”
Wastage often happens when shoppers are forced to buy bulk packages of produce which expire before they can be eaten.
Households then end up spending more on their weekly shop as they need to buy certain products more often.
So by avoiding packaged products, select shoppers will be able to reduce how much they spend when working out the costs for Christmas dinner this year.
For example, Christmas vegetables are generally cheap to buy in Aldi, with a 1kg bag of Nature’s Pick Carrots selling for just 65p.
However, if you need a little more than the 1kg bag to feed the family, you could be forced to buy two bags for £1.30 – even if you only needed a couple extra carrots.
The trial will take place up until Christmas in the following counties:
- County Durham
- Cumbria
- North Yorkshire
- West Yorkshire
- Northumberland
- Tyne and Wear
Aldi did not specify which exact stores would be affected, but The Sun has reached out for comment.
If the trial goes well, customers could see the change rolled out in all stores across the UK.
Some supermarkets have already made the move to scrap packaged-only aisles.
Sainsburys, Tesco and Morrisons all offer a variety of loose vegetables such as broccoli, carrots and onions which you can choose and weigh.
Waitrose sells an impressive 100 loose product lines, making up around 16% of its entire range.
Many of this comes under new laws in 2023 to reduce food waste after data was unveiled in a survey from the environmental charity WRAP.
The data revealed an average household throws away approximately £1,000 of food a year.
This triggered the government to introduce food waste legislation in England which requires companies to revise their food waste management and disposal practices.
In 2025, supermarkets may be required to provide a regular report.
WRAP’S Director Catherine David said: ‘This is happening because our food system is making it hard for people to buy only what they need and to use more of what they buy.’
However, the charity emphasised that more delicate fruits could still be sold in packaging to prevent them from damage.
Aldi has made other recent packaging changes inviting both criticism and celebration online.
The biggest shock to customers was the introduction of paper wine bottles.
The traditional bottles were replaced with cardboard packaging containing a food-grade pouch which held the liquid inside.
One person wrote on social media they couldn’t believe their eyes: “Just think, if this had been a few years ago on April 1, no one would have fallen for it. Now it’s a reality, that’s pretty cool.”
Others were less supportive of the move, describing it as “ridiculous”.
Sainsburys has also previously divided shoppers over vacuum-packed mince meat.
In February last year, all 600 stores made the change to use 55% less plastic.
However some did not approve – one person wrote in a review on their website: “Its a sticky lump of goo, all the texture gone in the vacuum. “
Best Items to Buy In Bulk in a Supermarket
Poppy Needham, a pricing pro at Approved Food, shared her top tips on what to bulk-buy.
Cupboard essentials
Toilet roll, kitchen paper, tissues, cleaning products and laundry supplies.
Polly explained: “A 24-pack of loo roll or a large bottle of washing-up liquid will save you money in the long run.”
Starchy staples
Rice, pasta, quinoa, oats, lentils, and beans have long shelf lives and form the basis of many meals.
“Buying larger bags of 5kg or more can significantly reduce the cost per gram,” said Poppy.
Chicken
Large packs of chicken, or even cheap frozen chicken breasts in bulk.
Tinned goods
From tinned tomatoes, tuna, salmon, any soup, and even fruits and veg.
Poppy commented: “Stock up when you see offers on multipacks or catering-size tins.
Misc
Cooking oils, spices, seasonings, tea, coffee, and drinks – these items keep their quality for a long time.
As for sweet treats, larger or sharing packs of chocolate are usually better value than single-serve portions.
On top of these efforts to reduce packaging, many major UK supermarkets are speaking up against food waste.
For example, Tesco, Sainsburys and M&S all co-signed a letter to the UK’s environment secretary calling for mandatory food disclosure between companies.
Tesco has also had a deal with the food waste app Olio since 2016 to help cut 45% of waste.
And Sainsburys and M&S have worked on projects to redistribute thousands of tonnes of foods to those in need.
However, Tesco and Sainsburys came under fire in October this year for misleading customers over their in-store recycling schemes.
An investigation discovered much of the soft plastic is incinerated rather than recycled.
If you are looking for ways to reduce waste at home yourself, you can read our article to learn how to store your vegetables correctly in the fridge to make them last longer.
Or you can read our article here to learn more tips and tricks for preventing food wastage.
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