ALDI ditches cans for cartons for organic vegies

ALDI Sud has bypassed traditional metal cans, opting to package an organic vegetable range in combisafe cartons.

The cartons, made by SIG Combibloc, offer comparable product protection and shelf life to cans, but have greater environmental benefits.

“In a life-cycle assessment conducted by the Institute for Energy and Environmental Research (IFEU), it was demonstrated that in the line-up against food metal cans, glass jars, plastic stand-up pouches and plastic pots, the carton pack has the best environmental performance. Compared to other packaging solutions for long-life foods, using combisafe can reduce CO₂ emissions by up to 54% and the consumption of fossil resources by up to 59%,” said Volker Bubacz, head of area marketing Europe at SIG Combibloc.

The cartons are promoted for their suitability for chunky foods and those that do not flow freely and therefore cannot pass through a pumping system and an aseptic process. ALDI Sud has selected combisafe 300 mL carton packs for the organic baby carrots, organic kidney beans and organic peas sold in its German stores.

The combisafe carton packs used by ALDI Sud are marked with the label of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). The label confirms that the paperboard used to make the package is sourced from responsibly managed forests and other controlled sources.