Aldi to trial sale of crownless pineapples to reduce food waste

Aldi's new scheme will make efforts to reduce food waste of the commonly discarded pineapple crown <i>(Image: PA)</i>
Aldi's new scheme will make efforts to reduce food waste of the commonly discarded pineapple crown (Image: PA)

In a drive to reduce food waste, Aldi is trialling the sale of crownless pineapples in Worcestershire.

The new initiative by the supermarket is set to deal with the green leaves that shoppers commonly discard.

Aldi plans to recycle these by using them in the production of next year's crop or turning them into animal feed.

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If this new method is adopted across its stores, it is estimated that food waste could be cut by a whopping 1,400 tonnes each year.

Currently, the crownless pineapples are available in selected stores across Worcestershire.

Shoppers still have the option to buy pineapples with crowns if they prefer.

Along with reducing waste, Aldi also aims to save on transportation.

By selling without the crown, more pineapples can be packed in boxes, resulting in potential cardboard saving of about 187 tonnes each year if the trial proves successful.

Liz Fox, national sustainability director at Aldi, said: "At Aldi, we are committed to finding sustainable solutions that benefit both our customers and the environment.

"This trial of crownless pineapples is just one of the latest innovative changes we’re testing out to minimise waste and reduce our carbon footprint."