Aldi has introduced 100 per cent recycled plastic packaging (rPet) for its own-brand washing up liquid.

The discounter said the move is expected to save over 500 tonnes of virgin plastic per year.

Additionally, Aldi has reduced the weight of the bottles, which will save a further 106 tonnes of plastic per year.

Aldi claims that saving weight with packaging allows for a lower usage of plastic, while there is no impact on the product quality for customers.

The move forms part of the supermarket’s target to include 50 per cent recycled content into its plastic packaging by 2025 and follows a switch to 100 per cent rPet on all own-brand soft drinks and bottled water in England and Wales last month.

In a further bid to cut plastic usage, Aldi has also decreased the weight of the packaging on its fabric conditioners, resulting in 50 tonnes of plastic being saved annually.

Earlier this month, Aldi announced that it would switch to recyclable paper-based wrapping for its own-label block butter products.

"At Aldi, we know that our customers are becoming increasingly concerned about the environment, and cutting back on plastic usage is just as important to them as it is to us,” said Luke Emery, plastics and packaging director at Aldi UK. “While the challenge of plastic packaging is significant across the industry, we are committed to minimising our impact wherever we can.

“Transitioning to recycled materials in our washing up liquid range and lowering the weight of our fabric conditioners are just two examples of our ongoing efforts to do so."

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