Aldi has announced plans to remove the plastic and aluminium protective sleeves on the corks of its own-label wines in what it describes as a “UK supermarket first”.

The decision follow a successful trial in stores launched in March 2024.

The packaging change will now be rolled out to all own-labelled corked wines by the end of the year.

Aldi said that the move will see it eliminate an estimated 38 tonnes of unnecessary packaging each year.

The change will apply to 46 of Aldi’s wine lines, including Côtes du Rhone, Rioja Reserve, and Atlantique Rosé.

“We know that sustainability is a priority for our customers, and we’re always looking for new ways to reduce packaging and offer more sustainable choices," said Luke Emery, national sustainability director, Aldi UK. “Launching wines with naked corks is a step in the right direction, and we’re proud to be the first supermarket to introduce this change across our entire range of own-brand quality corked wines.”

The changes come after Aldi launched a new own-label Chardonnay in partnership with The Hidden Sea to support the removal of plastic from the ocean.

Aldi said the partnership means that for every bottle of Kooliburra Hidden Sea Chardonnay bought by Aldi customers, the equivalent of 10 plastic bottles worth of ocean plastic will be removed.

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