ALDI Racks Up GreenChill Certifications, Releases Latest Sustainability Report
ALDI kicked off 2024 by announcing in January its goal to transition to natural refrigerants across all of its stores by the end of 2035. As the retailer heads into the back stretch of the calendar year, it continues to make progress in this and other areas of sustainability.
This week, ALDI announced that it is secured more GreenChill Store Certifications at the highest platinum level than all participating U.S. grocers for the third year in a row. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) which administers the GreenChill program, also recognized 164 ALDI locations in 23 states with GreenChill Store Re-Certification Excellence, honoring those stores for five straight years of platinum-level certifications.
According to ALDI, more than 700 of its stores now use eco-friendlier refrigerants, helping the company reduce its carbon emissions by 60% each year. “Between our smaller store footprints, removal of plastic shopping bags at check out and natural refrigeration, ALDI makes thousands of intentional decisions to keep our environmental footprint low,” pointed out Dan Gavin, VP of national real estate. “Natural refrigerants not only help us keep our products fresh but also reduce our impact on the planet. This latest recognition from the EPA further demonstrates how ALDI is working to make sustainability affordable and accessible for all."
In addition to making headway in its refrigeration benchmarks, ALDI recapped other sustainability efforts in its newly released 2023 Sustainability Progress Report. Now available online, the report summarized the retailer’s successful work in cutting emissions, improving packaging, minimizing waste, sourcing products responsibly and supporting communities.
Examples of ALDI’s sustainability strides in 2023 include the following:
- Eliminated all plastic shopping bags at checkout from its stores, preventing nearly 9 million pounds of plastic from going into circulation every year.
- Identified several ways to improve its packaging across product categories, such as using more post-consumer recycled content and recycled materials, transitioning to fiber-based recyclable alternatives and introducing new packaging formats that reduce plastic.
- Diverted 76% of its operational waste from landfills. As part of this effort, ALDI sent 2,013 tons of food to compost and anaerobic digestion facilities in 2023, a 22.4% increase from the prior year.
- Piloted the installation of multi-deck unit doors on deli sections in 55 stores, which helped reduce energy usage by up to 25% in these locations, and lower overall emissions.
- Accelerated the timeline to eliminate deforestation in high-priority supply chains to help protect biodiversity and reduce global warming.
- Strengthened partnerships with organizations like Feeding America and Boys & Girls Club to combat food insecurity and support children’s health & wellness. In 2023, ALDI donated 39 million pounds of excess food, equivalent to 32.5 million meals, to Feeding America and other donation partners.
- Contributed more than $6 million to Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation, more than 60% towards its goal to raise $10 million by 2027.
- Set a new goal to certify 100% of private-label coffee as responsibly sourced by the end of 2025.
ALDI USA CEO Jason Hart declared in the sustainability report that the company is on track in its goal of being the most sustainable grocer in the country, at a time when its own growth is accelerating. “With more than a quarter of U.S. households shopping at ALDI stores, demand for our quality, affordable groceries is at an all-time high, and it’s why we’re adding more than 800 stores nationwide over the next five years. Expanding our footprint and serving shoppers in more communities means we have an even greater responsibility to reduce our environmental impact and implement sustainable practices,” he wrote. “We want the millions of customers who trust ALDI every day to feel good about shopping with us, from the products they bring home to their families to the ways we support their local communities.”
At Progressive Grocer’s upcoming Grocery Impact event in Orlando, Fla., ALDI’s sustainability manager, Jason Schultz, will spotlight some of the company's initiatives and results in the Nov. 6 “Grocers as Good Neighbors” session alongside leaders from Amazon Access and Dollar General.
Batavia, Ill.-based ALDI U.S. serves millions of customers across the country each month with more than 2,300 stores in 38 states. The company is No. 28 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2024 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America. PG also named ALDI its Retailer of the Year for 2023 and among the 10 Most Sustainable Grocers in 2024.
