Intense debate sparked among fiercely loyal Aldi customers
A new feature on Aldi bread has sparked intense debate among the supermarket’s loyal customers.
The retail giant is currently trialling cardboard recyclable tags on many of its loaves of bread, replacing plastic tags. ALDI said it’s made the step as part of its commitment to become more sustainable.
“ALDI Australia has a number of commitments to improve the sustainability of our product packaging, including a goal to reduce the amount of plastic packaging across our own-label range by a quarter by 2025,” an ALDI Australia spokesperson has told 7NEWS.com.au.
“We have started trialling recyclable cardboard bread tags on a select range of our bread products, and we continue to work closely with our business partners to identify opportunities to transition to cardboard tags on more of our products.
“The next few years will see us continue to remove plastics from our range or replace it with sustainable alternatives and by 2025 all remaining packaging will be either recyclable, reusable or compostable.”
Since being shared on social media, ALDI’s new cardboard bread tags have sparked intense debate.
Many agree that the new sustainable tags are “a brilliant idea”.
“Every bit of plastic that we can easily replace with a recyclable version is so much better for our environment,” said one.
Added another: “This makes me very happy. Hopefully we can lose the vegetables in plastic wrap next. Good direction.”
Said a third: “I was impressed by this too!!! And I found the plastic ones would sometimes pierce the bag.”
Wrote one more: “ALDI has a commitment to recycling, I think it’s great, use the reuse-able clips, save our environment.”
Others have said they were disappointed in the cardboard tags, saying that they don’t work as well.
“These really are the worst thing since sliced bread,” said one Facebook user.
Another wrote: “I absolutely hate them… they break or become flimsy the first time you open the bread! So I’ve saved a whole heap of plastic ones and swap them as soon as I get home!”
Added a third: “My bread ended up through the boot of my car these clips are useless.”
Said another: “I love that it’s not plastic but the cardboard isn’t working well. I got a loaf of bread and it was raining, all open by the time I got to the car.”
One more wrote: “It’s a great sustainability initiative however they’re so crap that they fall off after the second time getting bread out. Same for other stores too, not just an Aldi issue.”
Another added: “Can’t stand them. They break so easily. I’m glad I kept my old plastic ones.”
However, other Facebook users urged ALDI users to rise above the various issues.
“Tip to anyone that is complaining. You can buy reusable metal pegs or even reuse other plastic tags,” one wrote.
“You just need to think outside the box. Man we are living in an interesting time of convenience and self entitlement. These tags are the worst thing for our ocean.”
A few others pointed out a very Australian problem with the new cardboard tags.
“You can never really fix a thong blow-out with it though,” said one.
Another joked: “Won’t last long when I use it to fix my flip flops! Seriously though, good on ya ALDI.”
Image: 7News