ALDI is the first Australian supermarket to make the move to ditch all single-use plastic straws, substituting them with a paper version in their drinks range, most notably the humble juice box commonly known as a “popper”.

The recent action was made in a bid to remove more than 40 million plastic straws (around 18 tonnes of single-use plastic) from landfills annually.

The new paper straws were put through extensive quality assurance testing to ensure they could puncture packets and maintain a strong shape without softening.

Plastic straws can take up to 200 years to break down. Photo from ALDI Australia.​

The popper has been a staple in Aussie school lunchboxes since the ’80s. While they may make you feel nostalgic, sadly, they’ve also contributed to more than 140 billion (that’s a LOT) plastic straws ending up in Australian landfills over the past four decades.

The nationwide rollout of paper straws across the whole beverage carton range will occur in 2022. However, shoppers in select NSW Aldi stores can see the paper straws on Westcliff Tropical Fruit Drink packs as early as this month.

“Juice boxes are a regular in kids’ lunchboxes, and we are exceptionally proud to start offering poppers with less plastic at the same low price,” said Dan Warner, buying director for drinks at ALDI Australia.

“Parents on a mission to reduce household waste and their environmental impact can now have peace of mind knowing the drink in their child’s lunch box contains less plastic, and they aren’t sacrificing convenience or worrying about any impact to their back pockets,” he added.

“When we can make a change that benefits the planet and doesn’t cost our customers more, it’s a no-brainer.”

In 2020, ALDI Australia also led the action to remove single-use plastic tableware from sale in stores, replacing them with paper-stemmed versions, a move recently followed by other supermarket giants this year.

“Responsibility is one of Aldi’s core values, so when we say we are taking steps to contribute to a more sustainable future, we don’t cut corners to get there,” said Mr Warner.

“We challenge ourselves to be bold in our commitments, and that means assessing every single component of the supply chain and finding all the ways we can make a positive change.”

 

[SX2002]

Great that people are stopping the use of plastic straws and other plastic items...what we need is a good alternative to the paper drinking straws though. Try using one in a can of fizzy drink, take one sip and you create a virtual volcano...the drink comes rushing up the straw and all over the place if you aren't prepared...
The other thing I hate is those bamboo knives and forks...don't cut anything and the forks are so blunt...we've started taking our own cutlery when we go out for Barnacle Bills or other eateries like this..

 

[Lizzy]

ALDI the first Australian supermarket to ditch plastic straws for good​

ALDI is the first Australian supermarket to make the move to ditch all single-use plastic straws, substituting them with a paper version in their drinks range, most notably the humble juice box commonly known as a “popper”.

The recent action was made in a bid to remove more than 40 million plastic straws (around 18 tonnes of single-use plastic) from landfills annually.

The new paper straws were put through extensive quality assurance testing to ensure they could puncture packets and maintain a strong shape without softening.

Plastic straws can take up to 200 years to break down. Photo from ALDI Australia.​

The popper has been a staple in Aussie school lunchboxes since the ’80s. While they may make you feel nostalgic, sadly, they’ve also contributed to more than 140 billion (that’s a LOT) plastic straws ending up in Australian landfills over the past four decades.

The nationwide rollout of paper straws across the whole beverage carton range will occur in 2022. However, shoppers in select NSW Aldi stores can see the paper straws on Westcliff Tropical Fruit Drink packs as early as this month.

“Juice boxes are a regular in kids’ lunchboxes, and we are exceptionally proud to start offering poppers with less plastic at the same low price,” said Dan Warner, buying director for drinks at ALDI Australia.

“Parents on a mission to reduce household waste and their environmental impact can now have peace of mind knowing the drink in their child’s lunch box contains less plastic, and they aren’t sacrificing convenience or worrying about any impact to their back pockets,” he added.

“When we can make a change that benefits the planet and doesn’t cost our customers more, it’s a no-brainer.”

In 2020, ALDI Australia also led the action to remove single-use plastic tableware from sale in stores, replacing them with paper-stemmed versions, a move recently followed by other supermarket giants this year.

“Responsibility is one of Aldi’s core values, so when we say we are taking steps to contribute to a more sustainable future, we don’t cut corners to get there,” said Mr Warner.

“We challenge ourselves to be bold in our commitments, and that means assessing every single component of the supply chain and finding all the ways we can make a positive change.”

Doesn't make up for them coming last in the nutrition dept. for their meals.