Food waste is a real problem in the United States, with an estimated 38% of all of our food being thrown away or going unsold. A major contributor to that statistic is all of the grocery store items which are past their sell-by date and haven’t been bought yet. Aldi is pioneering solid stewardship in the grocery industry by putting that food to good use instead of simply unloading it out back in the dumpster.
In 2021, the German grocery store company donated 33 million pounds of unsold food through its partnership with Feeding America, a nationwide network of food banks and food pantries dedicated to eliminating hunger in this country. By offering its unsold products to Feeding America’s vast community of food banks and other meal programs, Aldi is both reducing its waste and giving much needed nutrition to Americans in desperate need of assistance. Our landfills are full of food waste at the moment, contributing to the release of greenhouse gases, so this move is simultaneously an environmentally friendly one.
Read more: The Ultimate Ranking Of Grocery Store Rotisserie Chickens, According To Customers
Aldi Takes Its Corporate Stewardship Seriously
On Aldi’s website, the company outlines its full plans to remain a positive influence on the communities it serves. Not only does Aldi offer great products to its customers, it also looks for ways to reduce its waste. For example, it claims it will achieve the status of zero waste in its operations department by 2025. And by 2030 it plans to reduce its food waste by 50%. Both of these claims are a little vague, to be fair, but it isn’t all fluff and hot air.
For example, in 2021, the same year they donated all that unsold food, the company diverted nearly 2 million pounds of food waste from landfills to organic recycling centers and to local farms to be used as livestock feed. It may not seem like a lot, but the company isn’t required to do any of this, and we’re certain there’s no small amount of effort that goes into making these steps happen. With such a positive impact wherever they are, we’re happy to see the company making headway into so many U.S. states.
For more food and drink goodness, join The Takeout’s newsletter. Get taste tests, food & drink news, deals from your favorite chains, recipes, cooking tips, and more!
Read the original article on The Takeout.
Aldi, Food waste, Feeding America, food banks
#Unique #Aldi #Handles #Unsold #Food