ALDI Belgium and ALDI Luxembourg take a holistic view of sustainability, from sustainable packaging to food waste, and from renewable energy strategies to promoting healthy nutrition.
The sustainability focus in Belgium and Luxembourg is based on the CR strategic topics identified by the international materiality analysis. In the year under review, these included reduction of food waste, introduction of the Nutri-Score label and more sustainable packaging, installation of solar panels to protect the climate, and improvement of animal welfare conditions during the production of our products.
In 2021, 302 stores donated food surpluses to charitable associations, underscoring our commitment to tackling food waste.
We focus on optimising our packaging, reducing plastic (260 tonnes) and cardboard (24 tonnes) wherever possible, and increasing the availability of unpacked fruit and vegetables.
We also expanded our sustainable product ranges, for example, by introducing MSC certified canned tuna. Our seasonal chocolate products now have the FSI Fairtrade label, which certifies certain ingredients, such as cocoa, as Fairtrade. We also launched the CHOCEUR Choco Changer, a sustainable chocolate bar based on Tony’s open chain principles. We now label almost 300 of our products with the Nutri-score so as to aid our customers in making healthier choices.
Our climate-protection efforts have ensured that 111 stores and 7 distribution centres are fitted with solar panels on their roofs. 97.5 per cent of our stores have energy-efficient LED lighting, 44 stores have a climate-friendly CO2 cooling system, and 46 stores have vegetative roofs.
In the year under review, we also updated our National Animal Welfare Policy. We participated in the Better Chicken Commitment that involves us in joining forces with other retailers in order to improve husbandry conditions for all chickens used in fresh and frozen products by the end of 2026.
98
per cent of our own-brand packaging is recyclable
Optimising various packaging materials enabled us to reduce the amount of plastic by 260 tonnes and cardboard by 24 tonnes in 2021.
118
photovoltaic systems
111 photovoltaic systems on the roofs of our stores and 7 on our distribution centres. In total we generated around 9,149 MWh in 2021, equal to the annual energy consumption of around 4,970 households.
| Regional companies | 7 |
| Stores | 441 |
| Total ALDI employees |
7,927 |
| Year of market entry | 1976 |
| Website |
www.aldi.be |
| Regional companies |
1 |
| Stores | 17 |
| Total ALDI employees | 182 |
| Year of market entry | 1991 |
| Website |
www.aldi.lu |
|
Goal |
Description and scope |
Status 2021 & next steps |
SDG |
|---|---|---|---|
|
50% of PET beverage packaging made from recycled material by 2024 |
By end of 2021, 25% of our PET beverage packaging will be made from recycled PET. By end of 2024 this will be 50%. |
Project ongoing. |
|
|
Increase Belgian origin of fruit and vegetables by 3–5% by end of 2021 |
By end of 2021, between 3 and 5% of our fruit and vegetables will be of Belgian origin. |
Goal achieved. |
|
|
Rollout of the reusable net for fruit and vegetables in all stores in Belgium and Luxemburg in 2023 |
Reusable bags for fruit and vegetables. |
New goal. |
|
|
Rollout of the reusable bag for bread and pastries in all stores in Belgium and Luxembourg in 2022 |
Reusable bag for bakery products. |
New goal. |
|
|
Label 1,000 own-brand products with the Nutri-score nutritional label in Belgium and Luxembourg in 2022 |
Own-brand products in assortment. |
New goal. |
|
|
By end of 2022, 100% of our meat products should have an ALDI Transparency Code* |
Labelling of all own-brand products containing at least 5% meat with the ATC code (fresh meat, canned meat, chilled and frozen meat products, and prepared meals). |
Project ongoing. |
* The phrasing of the goal was adapted according to the requirements.
|
Goal |
Description and scope |
Status 2021 & next steps |
SDG |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Switch from UTZ/RA-certified to Fairtrade cocoa (FSI) certified for defined products by end of 2022 |
Switch from UTZ/RA-certified to Fairtrade cocoa (FSI) certified by end of 2022 for all nationally procured products from the following scope: Moser Roth, breakfast cereal, seasonal confectionery, and hazelnut spreads. |
Goal achieved. |
|
|
List at least one own-brand chocolate product that incorporates open-chain principles by end of 2021 |
List at least one own-brand chocolate product in standard range or as a special buy that incorporates Tony’s open chain principles by end of 2021. |
Goal achieved. Launch of the Choceur Choco changer chocolate bar in assortment in January 2021. |
|
|
More than 90% of fresh meat from Belgium |
By end of 2021, more than 90% of fresh meat should come from Belgium. |
Goal achieved.
|
|
|
By end of 2021, all drinking milk should be of Belgian origin |
The scope covers drinking milk (fresh and ultra-high-temperature processed (UHT) milk). |
Goal achieved. |
|
Goal |
Description and scope |
Status 2021 & next steps |
SDG |
|---|---|---|---|
|
10% increase in stores with heat recuperation technology by end of 2021 |
Introduction of heat recuperation technology in more stores, leading to the elimination of natural gas for heating, reducing CO2 emissions. |
|
|
|
35% increase in the number of Belgian and Luxembourg stores with solar panels by end of 2022 (2021: 111 stores - around 40 planned for 2022) |
Increasing the ratio of ALDI stores equipped with photovoltaic systems through continuous expansion. |
Project ongoing. |
|
|
10% increase in stores with heat recuperation technology by end of 2022 (2021: 141 stores – around 15 planned in 2022)** |
Introduction of heat recuperation technology in more stores, leading to the elimination of natural gas for heating, reducing CO2 emissions. |
Project ongoing. |
|
|
45% increase in stores with CO2 refrigeration technology by end of 2022. (2021: 44 stores – around 20 planned in 2022)*, ** |
Introduction of CO2 refrigeration technology in more stores, leading to the elimination of synthetic coolants and replacement with natural coolants, reducing CO2 emissions. |
Project ongoing. |
|
|
Installation of 130 electric charging points for vehicles on the grounds of the distribution centres and headquarters in Belgium in 2022 |
Introduction of electric charging stations, leading to more use of electric vehicles, reducing CO2 emissions. |
New goal. |
|
* The phrasing of the goal was adapted according to the requirements.
** The target year of the goal was adjusted.
|
Goal |
Description and scope |
Status 2021 & next steps |
SDG |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Launch an app for employees in 2021 |
Improve internal communication to further engage and involve ALDI employees by launching an app for employees in 2021. |
Goal achieved. |
